


Unexpected Revelations

by dem_bones91



Series: DBH Human and Android Swap AU [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Amnesia, Android Carl Manfred, Android Hank Anderson, Android Leo, Cannibalism, Carl being a badass, Character studies, Childhood Friends, Cole being a cockblock, Cole is all grown up, Cole works for Cyberlife, Daddy Issues, Destructive Behavior, Doctor/Patient, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Forced Prostitution, Friends to Lovers, Gavin and Elijah are siblings, Human Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Human Kara, Human Luther, Human Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Human North, Human Simon, Humans and androids swap places, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Jealousy, KL-900 Hank, Love Triangles, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Not Beta Read, Only after writing 27 or so chapters do I realise that, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Prostitution, Romantic Friendship, Simulated Life, alice and josh are still androids, also simon being the leader he's meant to be, ascended extras if you know the trope, cole is alive, every couple is slowburn, gavin is still human, if you don't basically I give minor characters major roles, markus and connor are siblings, minor characters have personalities, no role reversal here, reverse au, simon being a badass, simon has a personality, strangers to enemies to friends to lovers, tense father/son relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-07-13 10:51:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16016390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dem_bones91/pseuds/dem_bones91
Summary: In the year 2050, androids meshing with society is a normal thing. Humanity has become completely dependent on them for their needs, a world that some believe could only happen in dreams. How do humans get by in this utopia?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Reconstruct](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15238095) by [Luvkkari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luvkkari/pseuds/Luvkkari). 
  * Inspired by [Partners [Path Unlocked]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15497619) by [Delia_Maguire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delia_Maguire/pseuds/Delia_Maguire). 



> I do not own DBH.

Inside Detroit police headquarters, a young man with short brown hair and brown eyes made his way to the receptionist desk. He wore a freshly ironed black suit and pants.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" said a young woman with brown hair tied back in a brown ponytail.

"I work here and need access to my office?"

"Do you have authorization?"

"Yes," The man said handing her his card.

She took it scanning it in a reader behind the desk before handing the card back to him.

"It's a shame they don't have androids doing all of the dirty work. I guess the police wanted to hire some humans to pitch in."

The man was silent.

"Not much for small talk eh?"

"It's not that, I guess I'm what you call socially awkward."

"Nonsense, we should chat again some time. I'm just new around here but I think we can become very good friends. Wanna get a coffee sometime?"

"Coffee has a high caffeine content so I'll have to pass."

"Nothing wrong with wanting to stay awake for a little longer."

"There have been studies that say that ingesting high amounts of caffeine content are linked to health problems later in life."

"Oh that's a shame. Maybe some other time."

Connor walked to the automated gate that was blocked off by two yellow grates before opening the glass doors in back to access headquarters.

"Connor!"

The voice came from a large built brown skinned man wearing a black suit and tea.

Captain Fowler was calling to him.

He beckoned for him with his left index finger.

"Yes, Captain?"

"We need to talk."

Connor followed him inside his office.

An old man with clean cut greyish blonde hair stood standing behind him wearing a suit and tie.

"What is it, captain?" Connor asked.

Fowler coughed in his hand.

"There's someone I want you to meet."

Connor looked at him with a raised left brow.

"Lieutenant, this is your new partner fresh from the police academy."

Fowler glanced at the old man.

The old man stepped around the desk and held out his hand.

"Hank Anderson, pleasure to meet you."

Connor ignored his outstretched hand and turned to Captain Fowler.

"Is there a problem Lieutenant Bourne?"

"I think you don't seem to understand something, captain. I have and always will work alone."

Hank frowned.

"Out of the question," Fowler said. "Lieutenant, I get it really I do. I've only let you brood for as long as you have because no one at the station is willing to work with you. You're stubborn, cold and difficult to work with but everyone is assigned a partner at our station."

"B-but," Connor stammered.

"No exceptions," Fowler said gruffly.

Connor sighed.

Hank smiled smugly before he walked past Connor clapping his hand on his shoulder.

"Cheer up, Lieutenant. I'm certain we'll get along swell."

Connor was certain he could sense the amusement radiating off of him.

He followed the man outside finding him standing beside his desk.

"So where's my desk?" Hank asked.

Connor motioned to the desk on the other side of his. It was cleared off and empty after his last partner had transferred to another department.

A tall man with grey hair approached him.

"Lieutenant, someone just called in a homicide."

"Thanks, Ben."

Hank took the seat across from him.

"So your name is Connor Bourne?"

"Yeah."

Hank smiled.

"How did someone like you become a lieutenant at such a young age?"

"A lot of studying."

"You don't seem to be the type that would enjoy it."

"What type of person would you envision taking this kind of job?"

"Captain Fowler told me you are a part of the homicide division so you must look at a lot of dead bodies everyday. That kind of thing takes a toll on a man. Only a special kind of man can endure that kind of thing."

Connor glanced at the information Ben had sent him in the file.

It was of the murder of a HK600 in the house of 34 year old Jake Batt. The man was brown skinned with a thin build.

He handed the file to Hank.

"Looks like there's been a homicide on 6413 Pines Street."

"Well what are you waiting for, Bourne? Let's go."

Connor and Hank headed out.

Once arriving at the crime scene, the two left their patrol car and walked past the yellow holographic caution tape.

Ben was already there.

"Lieutenant Bourne, I trust you've been briefed about the case."

"Yes, an android's been murdered right?"

"Yeah you could call it that if you deem an android as a person."

The two men followed him inside leading them to the kitchen where the body of a hispanic man laid unconscious on the floor. A good portion of his head had been destroyed leaving traces of circuitry.

"It looks like he was attacked with a blunt object," Hank said.

"But why? To what purpose?"

Connor walked around the house coming across a picture frame. An old military photo of him and his old companions.

Next to the photograph were a couple of empty prescription bottles of prazosin and zoloft.

'Anti-depressants and insomnia medication.'

Connor walked into one of the bedrooms.

On the bedside table was an appointment card with a therapist.

Connor sighed.

He turned to find Hank who was standing in the hall.

"I think the assailant may still be here."

"What makes you think that, Anderson?" Connor asked.

"Well they're not in the back and..."

Hank looked up.

"That looks like a door to the attic doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

"I'll get a chair."

Hank left and returned minutes later with a chair in his hand.

Connor got up on the chair and pushed the secret door open hoisting himself up into the attic. He held out his hand to Hank who also got up on the chair. Hank clasped his hand as Connor pulled him up.

In the attic was alot of clutter.

Connor and Hank held out their guns cautiously looking around the attic for signs of the culprit. It was quiet making the atmosphere unsettling.

Passing some cabinets, Connor spotted the culprit, Jake Batt holding a gun at him.

"Lieutenant!"

"Don't move or I'll shoot."

Hank stood stark still. He noticed the person had his left hand covered in crimson colored cloth and his stomach was equally covered with blood colored clothing like he had been stabbed.

"Drop your guns...slowly."

Connor and Hank slowly crouched dropped their guns.

"Now kick them over here."

The Lieutenant proceeded to do so.

"Listen can you tell us what happened? Why are you holed up here?"

"I-I don't know."

Jake's eyes were cloudy. This wasn't the effects of red ice.

"You had to have known it would look more incriminating if you stayed," Connor said. "Why didn't you leave this place?"

"I don't know. You're trying to confuse me."

He squinted.

"Listen do I know you from somewhere you look very familiar."

"Who?" Hank asked but Jake wasn't looking at him.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," Connor said. "It must be a trick of the light."

Jake seemed confused by that.

Connor used that moment to kick the gun out of his hands.

Hank kicked the gun away. Jake flung his hand at Connor who had instantly caught it in his hand hurling him to the ground. Connor placed the handcuffs on his wrists.

Hank scouted the place.

"Looks like that bat might be the blunt object that we're looking for."

He pulled out a baseball bat.

The two ushered the culprit below.

"Reed, Miller, Collins, we found our suspect," Connor said.

The suspect was taken to the hospital for his stab wounds before they returned to the precinct. In the next few days, they'd be expecting the suspect back for interrogation.

"Well, I'm going to turn in for the night. I'll see you tomorrow, Anderson," Connor said before checking out for the night.

The next morning, Connor headed to the precinct to catch up on paperwork.

Hank caught him later working on his computer.

"Morning Lieutenant."

Connor was silent looking very absorbed in what he was doing.

"Got you some breakfast at my son's favorite spot in town."

"Thanks for the food, Anderson."

He didn't even look at the food.

"You shouldn't thank me for food you might not even like."

Connor looked up at him glancing at him in confusion.

"Huh?"

Hank rolled his eyes.

"Look at your food."

Connor spotted the food on his desk for the first time. It was a fried chicken wings and french fries.

He sighed.

"The chicken is loaded with cholestrol and fries have a high fat content. Are you trying to fatten me up? I get that we haven't got along on the right foot and everything but I didn't know that you wanted to kill me that bad."

Hank snorted.

"So you can joke around and here I thought you were a more stuffy kind of guy."

"I never claimed I wasn't funny, Anderson," Connor said. "I merely lack social skills."

Hank frowned.

"You're being deliberately obtuse."

"Well what about you? You said you had a son right?"

"Yeah, his name is Cole. He's turning 24 in December."

"What does he do for a living?"

"He's the assistant CEO of Cyberlife."

"Oh he's the one responsible for creating all those androids right?"

"In a matter of speaking."

"I've been reading up on Cyberlife. I've heard they've made a lot of developments with human and android integration in the recent years. Even taking requests to make custom androids for their customers to make them appear more humanlike."

"Well my son told me that some people are looking to replicate people who have been gone from their life. I guess it's a means of escapism. The more the android looks like the person they know the more they can imagine that the android is the one that they love."

"Still what would happen if the android can't fill that hole."

Connor frowned, his eyes elsewhere. His eyebrows furrowed like whatever he was thinking about caused him great pain.

Hank looked at him with soft eyes.

"Enough about that. How did you find yourself working for the police?"

"It was something to do. After I got my law degree I didn't really know my calling in life.

"Yeah, it gave me something to do since I had joined the military after I got my law degree."

"What'd you minor in?"

"Pharmacology."

"So you know your way around drugs then?"

"I guess you can say that. It's helped me in alot of drug related cases that for sure."

"Do you have any hobbies?"

"Well I've been known to dabble in some judo. Whenever I'm bored I find myself working on my car or my house. It keeps me busy."

"You don't listen to music?"

"Well I've been known to dabble in metal."

Hank snorted, his arms folded, looking unimpressed.

"What about you, Anderson? What are your hobbies?"

Hank's eyes rose in surprise.

"I love basketball, football, baseball. I used to shoot a mean 3 pointer. As for music. I listen to jazz like a person who actually has some good taste. Metal is the devil's music."

Connor snorted, the corners of his lips lifted in a smile.

"Can't disagree with that."

The next day, the suspect was returned to the precinct so the police could interrogate him.

Connor, Hank, and two other detectives were outside the interrogation room preparing to question the suspect held in there. One of them was a young man with disheveled brown hair and the other a brown skinned man.

"You gonna interrogate the suspect or do we have to leave this in the hands of the rookie?" the brown haired man asked Connor, glancing at Hank with narrowed eyes.

"Oh you don't think he can do it? Anyone can interrogate a suspect? Whether or not they can get a confession is another thing," Connor said glancing at him with a smug grin on his face.

The man turned to glare at Connor.

"You cocky little..."

"Enough with the melodrama, we got work to do," Hank spat out.

The brown haired man was quiet.

"So how do you wish for us to proceed?" Hank asked.

"Why don't you try interrogating the suspect."

The old man glanced at him with left brow raised.

"Me?"

"Yes you, Anderson. What better way to learn from your superiors than a little hands-on practice," Connor said.

Hank coughed looking away from Connor.

"Well then, I'll see what I can do."

With that Hank set foot in the interrogation room where the suspect was already seated at a small wooden table at the center of the empty room.

He opened the file that was left on the table glancing at photographs taken at the crime scene.

"My name is Hank Anderson. What's your name?"

"You can just call me Jake."

"Well then Jake, sit back and relax while I ask you some questions."

"Why'd you kill that android?" Hank asked.

Jake looked at the table avoiding his eyes.

"I didn't mean to."

Hank raised a brow.

"Elaborate."

"I thought he was going to kill me."

"You thought..."

"I don't know, I thought I saw him wielding a knife hovering over my bed so I took the gun from my bedside table drawer."

"What happened next?"

"He tried to reason with me I think but I couldn't hear him. He kept walking closer to me I got scared and I tried to shoot him but the gun was jammed so I ran towards the closet and got my son's metal baseball bat from the closet."

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"I turned and hit him in the shoulder with the baseball bat before heading downstairs. I think he was following me, he had me cornered and I didn't know what else to do. So I swung at him. He stopped the bat with his hands so I reached behind me with a knife and I tried to stab him with it but he took the knife from me. I released the bat from his hold and swung again, I guess I must have caught him off guard because then he stabbed me with a knife before he shut down. I was confused so I ran up stairs."

"And that's it?" Hank asked.

"Yes."

"So you admit to killing that android?"

"I...yes...I guess."

"At this rate, he'd could say anything and he'd admit to it."

He spoke over the microphone.

"Anderson."

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Hank asked staring at the window.

"Come back. I'll handle the rest of the interrogation."

"Why? Didn't you want a confession from him? We're already finished with the suspect."

"Just allow me to clear up a few things before you get hasty."

Hank sighed before heading out of the interrogation room.

"Lieutenant, mind telling me what this is all about?" he asked removing his ear phones.

Connor didn't reply tapping Hank on the shoulder.

"Hold the fort alright."

He placed the earphones in his ears.

Hank rolled his eyes before Connor stepped into the interrogation room.

He sat down in the seat in front of the table.

"Is that really how it went down?" Connor asked.

"Yes, I told you everything you wanted to know."

"We both know that's not quite true."

Hank glanced at the two other detectives from on the other side of the window.

"What's he talking about?" Hank asked.

"Those pills near your bedside table and those appointment cards. You were seeing a therapist weren't you?"

"Well yes-"

"Prazosin and Zoloft. One's an anti-depressant and the other is insomnia medication. At first I thought perhaps you might have been diagnosed with depression and the insomnia might be a symptom from the depression but taking an anti-depressant would take that all away wouldn't it? There wouldn't be any need for insomnia medication unless the anti-depressant prescribed wasn't meant to treat depression at all."

Jake looked at him with confusion.

"I believe you were also apart of the military which leaves it with pretty high odds that the anti depression and insomnia medication alongside the weekly visits with your therapist indicate that you were treated for PTSD."

Hank's eyes lit up.

He recalled looking at the bottle of Zoloft very carefully. None of the pills had been taken.

Hank brought his mouth to the mike.

"Lieutenant do you mean to tell me that his PTSD has something to do with this murder somehow? If that is the case what would happen if I told you that the bottles were left untouched, what would that tell you?"

Connor grinned smugly at Hank who sighed.

"Zoloft is a drug that inhibits serotonin levels in the brain. In layman's terms it regulates stress levels to manageable levels. You could imagine what might have happened if our suspect didn't take his medication."

Jake looked at Connor with confusion.

"My medication? Is that why-?"

"You mean to tell me you weren't aware that you hadn't taken your medication?"

"I-I thought he was going to attack me. Carlos never goes in my room unless I ask him for a favor. He must have been intending to give me my medication."

Jake broke down in tears sobbing and placing his head on the desk.

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to kill him. If I had known, if only I had known."

Connor sighed as Reed and Chris joined him with Hank in tow.

"Guess that pharmacology degree was useful for something," Hank said grumpily avoiding Connor's eyes.

"You did pretty good in there yourself, Anderson."

The brown skinned man ushered the suspect out of the room with his brown haired partner in tow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the story switches to Markus' POV.

A man with short red hair wearing a black apron over his suit and tie stood behind the counter of Bellini Paints, a paint shop in the middle of Detroit.

Another man came bumbling inside with his uniform. He had auburn skin, with blondish red hair trimmed to a buzz cut. What stood out the most however was his piercing light blue eyes.

"It's just about time for us to switch shifts isn't it, Antonio?"

"Already? Time sure goes by so fast. Are you still up for the party next week?"

The other man smiled.

"Sounds great."

"See you there, Markus."

"You too."

"If you need a ride, I can pick you up after work," Antonio said.

"Won't that be a little trouble."

"It's never any trouble. When do you get off of work today, Markus?"

"Well I came in at 10 and I'm supposed to work until 2."

"Then I'll see you then."

With that Antonio headed out.

Some time passed as Markus twiddled his fingers on the desk.

Two women came by later in the afternoon. One was a blonde haired woman accompanied by a brown skinned woman with short black hair pinned to her head.

"Excuse me, can I help you?"

The brown skinned woman spoke.

"I was hoping to buy a birthday present for my daughter. She's always been into painting you see. What should I buy to get started?"

"How old is she?"

"12, she's turning thirteen a couple of days from now."

"Well there's the starter set that is 12 dollars but if you want good quality paint you may have to spend more money."

"Which one would you recommend?"

Markus turned to pull a paint set from the cabinet behind him.

"This one," he said. "I used it when I was first starting out after my father recommended it to me."

"I see. Thank you. How much will that be?"

"20 dollars."

The brown skinned woman turned to the blonde haired woman who had fished something out of her pocket to place on the right side of her temple.

It was an LED. She was an android.

Markus took out an LED scanner. It was how humans made transactions with androids. The LED which was blue flickered yellow for about 10 seconds before returning back to a stable light blue color.

"Transaction complete," the blonde lady said.

"Thank you for your purchase," Markus said handing over the box to the brown skinned lady.

He looked on in envy glad that the mother would be buying her daughter such a thoughtful gift. Markus would never know how receiving a gift from his biological parents would feel like since his parents were long dead.

He would never have the privilege of relating to a parent of the same species. There was no one who could understand how it was like waking up to tears with no one supplying you comfort, no one who was there to understand about his feelings, no one who could understand what it was like to have a crush on a girl in school, no one who could understand what it was like to have that illusion crushed after meeting a boy he liked.

Instead he had Carl, an android who had adopted him while he was staying at the orphanage with his brother.

Minutes before his shift ended, a blonde haired man came bustling in.

"I'm not late, am I?"

Markus smiled.

"Don't worry you're right on time."

After the blonde had settled in, Markus addressed him.

"Can I make a bit of a last minute transaction? I reserved a paint set under the name of Carl Manfred. I would have done the transaction myself but you know the rules."

The blond took out the paint set under the counter. Markus couldn't remember a time when anybody in Detroit ever used money anymore. Androids took care of everything nowadays. The government issued one for nearly every household after the war providing all androids with the ability to complete all household transactions with a select amount of payment issued from them.

"Thank you."

With that Markus set out with the paint set in hand. He was looking forward to painting with his father today.

Antonio dropped by.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Markus got in the car and Antonio drove him back home. On the way, Markus saw a protest going on outside his window.

A group of people had signs held up.

'Hands off Government', 'Don't let Androids run the world' were on some of the signs.

Eventually Antonio arrived outside of a gate surrounded by brick walls that stood 3 feet from the ground.

"Don't forget next week," he said.

"I won't," Markus replied.

He walked until he reached a large drive way, it doubled as an entrance to his house. Flat trimmed hedge bushes separated the drive way from the large trees on their property.

A large red two story house stood in the distance. Markus walked until he reached the large arched wooden doors.

A scanner stood by the front door. Markus placed his hand on it.

"Alarm deactivated. Welcome home, Markus," a female voice said softly from the scanner.

The door opened welcoming Markus inside. He walked towards the back of the house setting the paint set he had received on a golden table with a mirror.

He headed to his room on the second floor to change into more casual clothes.

'Wonder where Carl is?'

The android who cared for him never seemed to sleep always up doing something productive.

'It must be apart of his programming."

After getting dressed, Markus left his room intent on finding Carl.

He glanced briefly into Carl's room in case this was one of the rare times that he was in his bedroom but the old man wasn't there.

Markus ran downstairs.

'Maybe he's in the studio.'

It was one of the only things that Carl had set up specifically for him.

He collected the paint set he had set on the mirror table before heading in the back towards the dining room.

A tablet on the table in the dining room had a newspaper article opened.

The headline read: 'Today marks the tenth annual, 'Deviant Day', a celebration of the android rebellion that happened over twelve years ago.'

Markus skimmed through the article.

'...humans and androids are getting along better than ever. Androids are now common place, providing for human beings every need.'

Had it really been twelve years since that fateful day that the army had recruited his brother for the war?

Heading past the dining room, Markus saw that someone had already opened up the studio. The warm sun was shining through the doorway lighting up the dining room.

He stepped outside spotting Carl standing in front of a large canvas painting with his paintbrushes.

"Hey Carl, I'm back," he added with determination and excitement.

Carl looked up from where he was panting spotting Markus instantly.

"Sorry, I started before you got here. I decided to do a little cheating to prepare me before we got started."

Markus walked behind him to see what he was working on.

It was a nearly exact painting of the sky.

"What do you think?" Carl asked.

"Wish I could paint that good."

"You are good."

"Is painting one of the skills Cyberlife implemented in your programming too?"

"Beats me, I don't know what skills Cyberlife gave me before they implemented all my human memories. I've never painted before in my life."

Carl walked towards the clothed table next to him looking at a painted canvas. It was a picture of Markus painted with red colors.

"Still, despite what you might think of skill, your paintings make up for it with emotion. My painting just seems lifeless compared to yours."

"You seem to know alot about painting for someone who's only painted once and was programmed to be skilled at it no less," Markus said.

"While I said that I've never painted, I remember it being a fond hobby of mine to peruse the museums when I was younger. It was why I encouraged you to continue pursuing art as a career," Carl said. "There's just something enjoyable about watching someone paint."

A young man with dark hair and dark eyes just then walked in the studio. He wore a blue coat over a black t-shirt and jeans.

"Hey."

"What's the matter, Leo? You don't look so good." Carl asked.

"Mom was sent to the hospital."

"Oh? What was wrong?" He inquired dismissively.

"Is that all you got to say?" Leo snapped.

"Your mom is always asking me for money to pay for her hospital visits. It was cold last time wasn't it?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"She's always the type to spend money aimlessly isn't she? Perhaps if she had saved the money she wouldn't be in the situation that she's in. I am not legally responsible for her or her wellbeing. She should be able to take care of herself."

"She has cancer," Leo said solemnly. "The doctor says unless she gets treatments she's going to die in days."

Markus felt concern well in his stomach.

"How much are the treatments?" he asked, feeling sympathy for his half-brother.

Leo sighed.

"The doctor says it'll cost over 2 million dollars just to give her the treatment she needs. Her insurance doesn't even come close to covering it."

Carl sighed.

"I can't afford it."

Leo snarled.

"You lie."

"Believe what you want but it won't change my answer. I'm not lending you any money."

"I hate you. Is Markus so special that you love him more than me? I always thought different but maybe our brother was right, you always loved him more than the both of us."

"That's not true."

"I only asked for you to lend me some money so I could save the only person who's loved me for most of my life."

"The answer is no."

"You don't care about anyone just Markus and his stupid paintings. You never loved me."

He looked away.

"You never loved me," he said as he walked out.

"Are you sure it's alright to leave him like that?" Markus asked.

"I'm sure with time he'll understand."

"What's there to understand? Why don't you help him? He seemed upset."

Carl sighed.

"I would, Markus. Believe me, the last thing I want to do is abandon my family like this but even with my retirement funds there is no way we'd be able to afford it."

"I know."

With a sigh, Markus continued to paint hoping to express his repressed emotions on paper. More than anything he wanted to express the pain he felt on paper. He wanted to paint all the regrets in his life, the pain in knowing that a tough skin is the only way to get by in the real world, how he regrets not being kinder because his father had wanted the best for them.

He wishes more than anything that he could help Leo somehow but he can't force Carl to give up his savings to Leo and his mother and it's painful knowing that there is nothing he could do for him.

At the corner of his eye, Markus saw the mailman come by to deliver their mail.

"Carl, I'm going to get the mail okay."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be right here when you come back."

Markus headed back inside the house and walked towards the mailbox. He opened the mailbox taking the mail from inside.

A piece of paper was addressed to Markus from Elisha Kamski. There was an art gallery 3 days from today. Due to having been an old friend of his father's, Elisha had offered to host his art at the gallery ever since he was just a young boy. His son, Elijah had carried on that tradition for a time before his death.

Elisha must have been getting on in years but he still seemed to have the same passion for art as he did all those years ago.

Markus headed back inside the house heading back to the art studio.

"So what did we get for mail."

"Elisha wants me to come to the art gallery three days from now," Markus said.

Carl rolled his eyes.

"Don't you just hate social gatherings?"

"Don't be like that. It could be fun," Markus said.

"It's boring. Dressing up to impress people who can't possibly understand the underlying meanings of your artwork. Tsk, tsk, you can never come too prepared," he said.

Three days passed before Markus got ready to attend the gallery. Carl had given Markus one of his old suits specifically for the occasion.

'I'm not buying a fancy suit just to give some satisfaction to the socially elite.'

Markus sighed, rolling his eyes.

For being an android, a being programmed with no feelings, it was sometimes surprising how stubborn Carl could be. Sure he didn't know much about Carl before he was converted to an android but even being programmed with thoughts and memories from his years as a human there was just no way of giving an android the same feelings as the human counterpart.

An android shouldn't feel stubborn because an android can't possibly want things done their own way because they are never programmed to be selfish.

Carl had told him this during their first meeting all those years ago when he had signed those adoption papers.

'I may have the memories of a human but I'm still very much an android. I am still programmed to carry on a task.'

What task, Markus didn't know but Carl did many tasks in his lifetime. He cared for Markus, he cared for Leo, he cared for his brother. He made sure they were cleaned, fed and educated not out of the goodness of his heart but rather because he was an android and that's what he was programmed to do.

After putting on his outfit, Markus stepped out of his bedroom and headed downstairs.

Carl was already prepared, wearing a suit of his own.

The two headed out, walking towards the garage. Markus looked on in fascination as the garage door opened seemingly on it's own accord.

He turned towards Carl who was glancing at him with a smug smirk on his face.

"I guess seeing the garage door open like that still never ceases to amaze you."

"I still like to imagine that we have psychic powers," Markus said, smiling in Carl's direction.

The two headed in the car. Carl's car originally had been an old chevy from the 1950s given to him by his father.

Carl could never figure out why it hadn't been updated to be more like the modern cars. Nowadays, cars were fueled either electrically or by solar power. With most cars, one could use the internet, the radio and call on the LED screen programmed in the middle of the cars. All of this could be used with accurate voice activation nowadays with programmed manual options should the car not be operational. The seats in the front of modern cars also turned towards automated doors so passengers could walk out without opening them.

It's why Carl had rigged his chevy with the execution of the modern car in mind. The doors opened once they were in the car's vicinity.

Markus took the seat on the right and Carl took the seat on the left in the driver's seat before the car turned the seats around so they both were facing the front windows.

With that the two drove to the art gallery.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Kara...

A tall brown skinned man checked in at the front desk of the Detroit Hospital. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Can I help you?"

"I came to visit Kara Bradley."

"Are you her husband or are you her brother?"

"I'm a friend."

The nurse pointed to the hall on her left.

"Right this way. She's in room 212."

The man walked in that direction.

Eventually he reached her room. A woman with short blonde hair and blue eyes laid on the bed in a white hospital gown.

"Hey!" he called out to her.

"Who're you again?"

"I guess that concussion really did a number of your memories huh?"

"The doctor is unsure whether or not they'll return at all."

She smiled.

"Guess that just means I have to make new ones. You can start by telling me your name."

The man sighed.

"I'm Luther. We used to be...no we're still good friends."

He smiled.

"One of my sister's kids might have accidentally thrown a ball at the back of your head. I hope you can find it in you to forgive them."

"You live with your sister?"

"Nah, I just visit her every now and then. You usually come over to babysit the kids when she has work."

"Oh."

"I brought you some flowers."

He handed her the bouquet of flowers.

"Thanks."

"They said they should be able to release me by this afternoon. I think they're trying to get ahold of my parents."

Luther frowned.

Just then the nurse came in.

"Ms Bradley, I'm afraid we can't get ahold of any of your family. All of them are marked as deceased."

"What? But-"

"You did have an emergency contact written in our records to get ahold of Luther Sutherson should anything happen."

Luther's eyebrows rose.

Kara had listed him in her emergency contacts? Why?

"I can call him if you like."

"I'm already here."

"And you are?"

"Luther Sutherson. I'm her friend."

"Oh I see. We'll need to inform you about all the details on her condition before you sign her release forms."

Luther listened intently as the doctor explained she would need someone to check on her frequently to make sure there was no lasting damage from her concussion.

After signing her release the two headed out.

"What a relief. I wouldn't have lasted for another second," Kara said.

"Really? I guess I should have came sooner."

He chuckled.

As they walked, Luther glanced around.

'I wonder if Kara's hungry. She's been in the hospital for a while. If I were her I'd hate eating hospital food everyday.'

Still there was a lot of food joints, Luther was unsure where he had wanted to eat.

Suddenly a loud scream cut through his thoughts. He turned to see Kara had stood completely still.

"Kara, what's wrong?"

A girl with long brown hair was running towards them with wet eyes. She was accompanied by a middle aged man.

"What-"

"Take the girl."

"Huh?"

"Take the girl with you."

"Why?"

"Just take her and hide her."

Suddenly a couple of people in black suits with blue arm bands ran towards them all wearing black helmets that concealed their faces. Kara pulled the girl in back of her.

"Luther," Kara whispered. "Help me hide her."

Luther looked down. He could barely see the girl hiding between them. Luther huddled closer to Kara placing his left arm behind her.

Suddenly the middle aged man in front of them keeled forward. What looked like a tranquilizer dart poked from his back only there were wires from where it was attached to their guns.

"Excuse me," one of the guards addressed Kara.

"Yes, what is it?"

The guard removed his helmet revealing a face that she had only seen on her tablet. It was one of the new RK-800 models known for doing jobs like being bodyguards, soldiers, SWAT squads, FBI agents, any word that had it's grounding in the justice system.

"Did you folks happen to see a little girl run past here?"

"No, why? Is she in trouble or something?" Kara asked, feeling the girl standing behind her clinch her hand.

"She's not in trouble. We were hoping to watch her while we question her guardian. We believe there might be a kidnapping at work here and that the girl was kidnapped from her family by this android."

The girl's hands quivered against her own. It made her feel uneasy.

"Well I haven't seen her but good luck with your search."

With that the guards picked up the man and carried him away. Only when they were gone did both turn towards the girl.

"What was that all about?" Luther asked.

"They're lying. My father didn't kidnap me. He was helping me escape. Those men killed my mother."

After the tense events that preceded them, Luther and Kara took the little girl over to a nearby food establishment.

Luther had finally decided on taking the two to the diner nearby.

He addressed the girl sitting across from him leaning against Kara.

"What do you mean those men killed your mother?" Luther asked, looking visibly disturbed.

The girl shivered.

"It's alright you don't have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable," Kara said.

"So what're we going to do now? We can't very well take her with us. We'd be accessories to kidnapping."

"We already were, the moment I decided to take her with us."

"Kara, I have family. I can't afford to spend my time in jail."

"Luther, she's scared. She doesn't want to go with them. I'm not going to force her to do something she don't want to do."

Luther sighed.

She turned to address the girl staring down at her with soft eyes.

"What's your name?"

"It's Alice," she said softly.

"Alice, huh?" Luther asked. "Like in Alice in Wonderland?"

"Yeah, I love that story."

"What are we going to do about her? She can't stay with my sister."

"I was thinking she could stay at my house. I have a couple of spare bedrooms."

"The doctor says that I'll need to check up on you everyday to see if there are lasting effects from the concussion."

"I don't see the problem unless it's a matter of gas."

"My recent funds haven't been the greatest."

"You still work for the Detroit Police Department right?"

"I sent in my resignation months ago," Luther said. "The atmosphere made me uneasy so I got a new job. I get less pay but at least it's work."

"Oh?"

"I work in construction work now."

"I see."

"Still the money hasn't been the best. It'd just be easier if I stayed with you for the time being."

"Are you sure that won't be a problem for you?"

"It shouldn't be."

"Alright, if you think that'd be easier for you."

After the three finished eating, they waited at the bus stop. Once they got on the bus, they were dropped off on the street where Kara's home was. From there it was only a little walk away.

Kara placed her hand on the panel near her door opening the front door of her house.

The two others followed her inside.

Luther looked around. Not much had changed since he had last visited her place. The walls were still that warm yellow color he had come to associate with Kara. She still had that afghan quilt his mother had given her for her birthday. It was spread nicely on her couch.

A walnut coated table stood inbetween the couch and the warm fireplace. A television remote set on top. The TV was pinned on the top of the fireplace.

He turned towards Kara who suddenly was clutching her head.

"Kara, what's wrong?"

"My head hurts a little bit. I'm a bit dizzy."

She slowly walked to the other side of her couch and sat down.

"I can fix dinner if you like.

"It's already that time?" Kara asked peeking at the clock above the fireplace.

It was 4:30. In thirty minutes, it'd be dinner time.

She grumbled.

"Just take it easy and leave everything to me. What do you want for dinner, Kara? Should I fix my mother's special jambalaya?"

"Not tonight. I'm not in the mood for death defying spicy food."

She turned to Alice.

"Alice, what do you want to eat?"

"Um, I don't need to eat."

"You want to grow big and strong don't you?"

"That's not it. I'm just not hungry."

"Well then what do you think I should eat then?"

Alice looked to the side.

"What about spaghetti and meatballs? My mother used to make them before she...she..."

"Alright. Did you hear that Luther?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said dismissively.

"Do I have any spare rooms?"

"Well you have two guest rooms alongside your bedroom. You should be able to tell your room from the others because they're the only ones unfurnished."

"Want to pick out your room while we're waiting?"

Alice's eyes lit up.

"Sure."

"Kara!"

"Yes, Luther."

"Come here for a minute."

"Alice, wait there."

Kara walked towards him.

"What is it?"

"If I remember right I think you told me my niece left some of her art supplies in the dresser in the bedroom next to your room. "

Kara smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind."

She walked back to Alice and led her to a hall with three rooms.

"The room furthest down the hall is my room. There's the room across from me or the one directly next to mine."

"Can I have the room next to yours?" Alice asked.

"Certainly."

Kara lead her to her room.

It was empty and desolate save for the dresser and the bed wrapped in clean white linen sheets.

A couple of cabinets were under the bed that she perused. Inside was several white blankets folded very neatly.

"Looks like I even got some spare blankets if you wish to borrow some."

"I think I'll be fine."

Kara opened one of the dresser drawers pulling out sheets of white paper and a box of crayons.

"I got some crayons and paper here if you want to color while you're waiting."

She set it down on the floor.

Alice smiled brightly looking up at her.

"Alright."

Kara headed back into the living room to sit on the couch. She removed the remote from the table and switched on the television.

"So how's Alice?" Luther asked.

"She's alright."

It appeared that she had left the channel on the news.

The news anchor was talking about President Warren having a meeting with NATO discussing about conflicts over the territories of the northern hemisphere fighting over the right to the thirium mines that were over there.

Luther turned and smiled at Kara.

"It's funny. You'd always talk about how you wanted a child of your own. Guess your wish came true huh?"

"Is that why I babysit kids?"

"Well you always were a natural. My sister asked you to take care of her daughters while we were in college. You needed the extra money to pay for tuition so you agreed."

"What'd I major in?"

"You took a course to receive training to be a handyman. I believe you told me it would give you something better to do than lounge around the house. You never seen the logic in getting a degree in something you'd never use."

"What about you?" Kara asked.

"I got a major in Law and a minor in Home Economics."

"So you know your way around the house then?"

Luther smiled.

"I guess you could say that though I wasn't expecting you to suggest spaghetti for dinner tonight of all things."

"Is that an unusual request?"

"No, usually I'm cooking some kind of pasta at your place but you always like it when I make pizza. You told me it was your favorite food."

"Well I could see why. You could put all kinds of different topping on it."

"Like pineapples."

Kara frowned.

"Pineapples have no business being on a pizza."

Luther chuckled.

"Neither do anchovies but you don't see me judging you. I think the spaghetti is about done. You should call Alice in here so we can eat."

Kara leaves to fetch Alice. She returned minutes later with Alice in tow.

"So what do you like on your pizza?" he asked Alice. "Are you a pineapple or are you an anchovies girl?"

"Pineapple."

"See even Alice agrees that pineapple goes on pizza."

Kara rolled her eyes.

"Alice, are you sure you don't want any spaghetti?" she asked.

Alice shook her head.

"I'm fine, Kara."

Kara and Luther settled down to eat in the living room just as more news came on.

"I see there talking about the tensions between us and Russia. The whole conflict is just stupid. We already have more than our fair share of thirium reserves. I think it's just another excuse for our president to start another war."

"War?"

"Yeah, I've heard President Warren has huge ties with Cyberlife Corporation. There is this theory that the President uses the tax payers money to fund the equipment used to make android soldiers in case there's a war between us and Russia."

After both Kara and Luther chowed down on their food, the two headed to bed. Kara ushered Alice back to her room to tuck her in bed.

"I know you said you'd be fine without them but I heard it's going to be really cold tonight. It'd make me feel more at ease if you were covered up."

"Alright, Kara."

Kara spread the covers over Alice and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, Alice," she said softly before heading out.

"Goodnight," Alice said in return.

After shutting the door behind her, she headed to her room noticing Luther standing by the door on the other side of the hall.

"Do you need something?" Kara asked.

"Goodnight, Kara," he said before going to his room.

Kara opened the door to her bedroom closing it behind her. She changed into some pajamas she found in her dresser before removing the covers and slinking into her bed.

"Goodnight Luther," she murmured under her breath.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hank and Connor witness a suicide.

After finishing with the interrogation, Connor and Hank had been working on some unfinished paperwork for the following days.

It was one particular day, while Connor was working that Hank was heading for his desk.

Hank shook his head and frowned.

"I see you're already here. Do you ever take a break, lieutenant?"

"Why would I? Duty calls."

Captain Fowler stepped out of his office glancing in their direction. He was a tall burly brown skinned man with a white ironed shirt and black tie with matching blacking pants.

"Bourne, Anderson in my office."

Hank followed behind Connor as they both headed towards his office.

At they headed towards the stairs, the brown haired guy from the interrogation bumped into his shoulder.

"Watch it, Bourne. Stay out of my way."

Connor hissed.

"Are you alright?" Hank asked.

"Just Reed, being Reed," he muttered under his breath.

With that the two stepped inside Fowler's office.

Hank took the chair in front of Fowler's desk while Connor stood up, his arms folded.

"There are usually less than 2 or 3 files of homicide related cases on my desk. Usually we get burglaries, petty crimes but now it's serious. There have been a lot of anti-android riots going on. Rebels spewing anti-android propoganda, destroying androids. Humans and androids are getting caught in the crossfire. We had to send a team after we heard how rowdy these protests were getting."

Connor frowned.

"Why are you telling us? Isn't it our job to keep the peace between androids and humans?" Hank asked. "We step in and silence the riot, it'll just be asking for trouble. It'll lower our morale amongst the people."

"I'd agree but it's not just our problem anymore. There have been threats, letters written to employees who work at Cyberlife. We don't do anything and the situation will only get worse."

Hank hissed under his breath.

"Sh-t.'

"I trust you agree with my decision then, Lieutenant?"

Connor nodded.

"Of course, why would I disagree? You really think an old grudge is going to cloud my judgement? It doesn't matter who's involved, I would still do my job to protect humans, or androids."

"Then what I ask of you will be simple. I want you to investigate into this matter and see who's responsible for these threats."

"I'll see what I can-"

"With your partner."

"No offence captain, but I don't need a partner for this. I'm perfectly capable of working alone."

Hank snorted.

"I don't see what's so funny, Anderson," Connor said.

"You would have died up there trying to apprehend that suspect if it wasn't for me, he had a gun on you."

"He had a gun on you too."

"Well he would have shot you if I hadn't distracted him."

Connor snorted.

"You were hardly any help. I was talking him down just fine."

"Enough, this is neither the time nor the place for your little spat. I suggest you two get to work."

"But captain," Connor sputtered.

"We're through arguing about this. If you don't want to work with him, you can hand in your badge. Now excuse me, I've got work to do."

Hank headed out with Connor following behind him with his shoulders slumped.

He stuck his tongue out.

The sides of Connor's lips curled up in a smile.

"Very classy, Anderson."

"You're so strait-laced, Connor. You need to loosen up a bit. Where's your sense of humor?"

"It died with this conversation."

Hank huffed.

"Do you always need to be so difficult?"

"It isn't anything personal, Anderson. I'm just a difficult guy to be around."

He sighed.

"What do you want to drink? I could bring you something back."

Connor brought a finger up to his chin stroking it absentmindedly.

"Maybe a glass of water."

"You sure you don't wanna coffee."

"I don't drink coffee."

Hank rolled his eyes before walking towards the break room.

Once Connor reached his desk, he went back to work.

Hopefully the captain had already sent him the case files.

A hand slammed his desk.

Connor looked to the left of his computer spotting Reed glancing down at him with a sneer.

"Well, well, look at you. The department's long nosed hotshot trying to be a good hard-working cop. Congratulations on last night, very impressive. Amazing, how only a little praise helps stroke that large ego of yours."

"Shut it, Reed."

"Or what?"

Reed slapped some papers off his desk on the floor.

Connor stared at him impassively getting up from his seat to pick up the papers off the floor.

"You can't touch me and you know it. What would the captain say if he found the department's top lieutenant getting violent with his co-workers?"

Connor was silent.

"You ought to be kinder to your co-workers you never know when they might retaliate."

He walked off but not before kicking Connor's right knee as he passed causing him to slip on the floor with a yelp.

"Lieutenant, what are you doing on the floor?"

Connor looked up and saw Hank had returned. A glass of water was set on his empty desk, Hank must have got it for him.

"I slipped and knocked over my papers."

Hank smiled.

"Here let me help."

He knelt down and helped collect the stuff that had fallen off the desk.

"Thanks."

"You don't need to sound so sour about it. Have some respect to your elders," Hank said.

"Elders? You could pass as someone in their early forties."

Hank ruffled his hair.

"I see you're as about as charming as you look. Do you even have a filter or do you just spout out stuff from the top of your head?"

"Perhaps I should have kept my opinions to myself."

"Nah, it's fine. I mean you weren't wrong... about my age, I mean. My son says I'm supposed to be 50 but who's counting."

"If that is an invitation to tell you my age, you're going to have to try a little harder than that."

Hank snorted.

"Why would I need to know that? It's already been established that you are a sixty year old man in the body of a twenty maybe thirty something year old man."

Connor frowned.

"You're not very funny."

Hank chuckled.

"I like to think I'm hilarious."

Connor set the remaining things on his desk.

"What's the deal between you and Reed anyhow?"

His right brow raised a hair.

"What do you mean?"

"I may be getting old but I'm not blind. I saw you two when I was heading back."

Connor's shoulders slumped.

"I see."

"Why do you let him bully you like that?"

"We have a history," Connor said curtly.

"He seems out for blood."

"Since I've worked here, we've never really seen eye to eye."

Hank sighed.

"I guess some people never change."

"Hey Bourne."

Both looked back to see Detective Reed had returned with a smug smirk on his face.

"What is it, Reed?"

"I think your suspect in the recent case has a bit of a screw loose. We tried to move him but he started a fight with one of the guards."

"What?!" Connor asked before running quickly towards the cells with Hank at his heels.

Once they arrived at his cell, Connor saw the man sprawled with his back on the floor a bloody mess. The wound seemed to be gushing blood from his neck.

"Sh-t," Hank sputtered under his breath. "Looks like he committed suicide."

Connor narrowed his eyes glancing at the gun powder near his neck.

"Bourne, are you alright?" Hank asked glancing at him, concern in his blue eyes.

Connor took out the gun from his holster and pointed it at his chin.

"B-Bourne!"

Hank reached out for the gun.

"Relax, Anderson."

"Connor, what are you doing?" He sputtered.

"I have a question for you, Anderson. What would happen if I pulled this trigger?"

"Connor, what are you saying?!"

Connor sighed impatiently.

"Anderson, just answer the question."

Hank snorted.

"Well I guess you'd keel over and die like most people who do those stupid kind of things."

Connor glanced at him with shrewd eyes.

"Keel over? He was shot through the bottom of his chin. Don't you find it odd he landed on his back?

Hank stroked his chin with his index finger.

"How would that be odd?"

"The knockback of the bullet wouldn't have been enough force for the victim to be pushed on his back if he had shot the bullet because the moment he shot himself, the head would have fallen forward because the brain wouldn't have functioned to stop any gravity from making the head fall forward. The weight alone would have made him collapse on his stomach yet he is lying on his back."

"So what does it mean?"

"It looks like a murder took place."

Days passed as forensics took in the body for an autopsy when there was another report of a double homicide.

Gazing at the file it appeared to be the murder of a 29 year old male by the name of Gabriel Horn and 22 year old male James Turner.

Connor handed over the files to Hank.

Hank gazed up at Connor noticing his eyes drifting off elsewhere.

"Lieutenant, are you ok? You're oddly quiet"

Connor looked at him with his right brow raised a hair.

"What do you mean? I'm always quiet."

"Yeah, but it's more than that. You seem preoccupied."

Connor turned to gaze at Hank.

"Anderson, did you say something?"

"See this is exactly what I'm talking about."

"Oh," Connor said. "I was just thinking about the Batt case."

"Something about it seems to bother you. The suspect of that case, you knew him didn't you?" Hank asked.

Connor looked up.

"Yeah, I did. We were in the same unit. I was a major at the time. It was the time of that human and android war. Colonel Stern had asked us to take out the deviants that the rebels had sent on the frontlines. I prefer to forget that it ever happened."

"I can see why. It was a brutal war."

"For one side it was. They were spies that attacked us from the inside. It was nearly an omnicidal bloodbath if one of our units hadn't reported on their upcoming attack."

"I thought the humans were wiped out."

"We surrendered on the deal that our kind would be spared but the androids had managed to get the press to cover it up making the world believe that it was a war that obliterated most of human kind in which they weren't entirely wrong. The war wiped out over three fourths of the human population by the time we surrendered."

Connor frowned.

"Still after that it should have been the end of it."

"End of what?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking about something but we ought to be heading out."

The two headed to the address. A tall man stood by an alley talking with Detective Reed who had already arrived at the crime scene.

"I see you finally decided to show your face here, Lieutenant. Just got through talking with the person who phoned in the homicide."

"And you are?" Connor asked the man.

"Gordon Lopez."

Gavin headed out to explore more of the crime scene.

"So you're the man who phoned in the homicide but why?" Connor asked.

"A few weeks ago, my partner went missing. I had posted flyers and information on the internet hoping to find any information about him."

Connor sensed Hank glancing at him.

"Earlier this morning, I received a call. Someone told me they seen my partner talking with someone in the alley near this address but when I arrived..."

His mouth broke off.

"He was...he was...dead."

"What happened the day before he went missing?"

"Well he had an appointment with his therapist. He has alot of problems with PTSD from when he served in the army."

Connor sensed Hank's shrewd gaze on him. He avoided his eyes.

After questioning the witness, Connor split off to investigate the rest of the crime scene.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Best of luck to you. I hope you can recover," he had said to the witness earlier.

"Lieutenant, what was that all about?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You have the emotional capacity of a tin can. That was the most generic thing you could have said to that person."

"I was never the best at being the most tactful."

"That had nothing to do with tact. What you said was fine it was how you said it."

Connor snorted.

"Well it got the job done didn't it. I didn't come across as rude."

"See that's what I'm talking about. Are you ever capable of being genuine or do you just have a big stick up your a-s?"

"I don't have a big stick up anything."

Connor glanced at Horn's corpse first. A bullet had cleanly pierced his chest.

He turned to Turner's corpse handling it with gloves. There were two bullets in his corpse. One at the right corner of his head and one straight through his chest.

He fished out the guy's wallet from his pant pocket.

Inside the wallet was his ID and some calling cards to several doctors and also a therapist.

Back at the office, Connor did a search on his computer. It appeared that the two people who were dead were also apart of the military specifically from his squad.

'I didn't even know that Gabriel or James had settled down in Detroit.'

"So that's what you've been up to."

Connor whirled around in his chair catching Hank glancing over his shoulder at the opened military files of his colleagues.

"I'm sorry, Anderson."

"Why were you looking up the names of the victims in the military database anyway?"

"I had a hunch. I won't know for certain until we receive the autopsy report but I know from our investigation on first glance it looks like a murder suicide. The victims appeared to have shot each other and after one of them was dead, one of them shot themselves on the side of their head."

"We won't know for sure though without the autopsy."

"Just yesterday Mr Batt's corpse also appeared to be the aftermath of a suicide but we never found any murder weapon and the bullets were from unregistered gun."

"You think they're connected. Don't you think that's kind of reaching?" Hank asked.

Connor sighed.

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened. There's an old case which I thought had been closed a long time ago. There was a serial killer going around killing people that exclusively worked for the military. I thought we had arrested the murderer. We were sure that the murderer was none other than Elijah Kamski. He was put on death row and was executed just a year after he had been imprisoned. After the killings stopped I thought it had been all over."

"How were you able to send him to death row? From what I remember there was no direct evidence that pinned him to the crime and no murder weapon. What the police suspected was the murder weapon had no fingerprints."

"It was because of his connection with the war. He was a co-inventor of the androids. We suspected he had programmed an army of androids exclusively built to wipe humanity from existence. He had expressed doubts over serving in the war."

"He was in the war?" Hank asked.

"Yeah, we were in the same squad but we weren't exactly best friends though."

While Connor was at least civil with Elijah, the man had the knack for pressing his buttons.

"I didn't see him as an enemy but we had managed to gather enough evidence that pinned him to the crime. He had abstracted classified files from the military database that contained all of our personal information. Papers on blueprints for war machines. Several of the androids had traces of blood from the victims on their machinery."

"Ah."

"Still it seems I might have made a grave error. If the killer is still running amok that means it's possible I've killed an innocent man."

Hank looked grave.

"If this is the same serial killer from all those years ago, they'll likely come after you next."

"I am aware."

"Aren't you scared at all?"

"That wouldn't be very professional if I was."

Hank sighed punching him hard on his left shoulder.

Connor yelped in pain.

Hank glared at him.

"Always feel that need to put on a brave face? What do you hope to prove hiding the way you truly feel? That you're a god?"

"Is that how you see me? Like a god?"

Hank took a deep breath.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to see you because you've got this professional wall you've enclosed around yourself. What else am I supposed to think?"

Connor turned to glare at him.

"Of course I'm scared but I just choose not to let it affect me."

"Listen, Lieutenant if you ever find yourself in trouble...call me. I don't care what time it is. You can call me in the middle of the night for all I care just call me alright. It'll give me some peace of mind."

Hank wrote his number on a piece of paper before handing it to Connor.

"You have a cellphone?" Connor asked.

"Of course I do. Everyone does."

"I just never pictured you as the type that knows how to use them."

"Well I guess you shouldn't judge based off your perceptions then."

That evening, Connor was off work. He was about to head home when Hank tapped him on the shoulder.

"Lieutenant, do you want me to drive you home?"

"No, that's quite alright. I always take the taxi anyhow."

"Stay safe, Lieutenant."

"Will do."

As soon as Connor was dropped off his place, he walked to his front door and unlocked it before heading inside.

He made certain that both locks were fixed in place before securing the chain.

Connor let out a yawn as he headed to the bathroom to take a shower like he typically did. He preferred feeling clean before heading to bed.

After he finished his shower, he brushed his teeth and changed into some pajamas before heading to bed setting his gun in his bedside table drawer.

It was sometime in the middle of the night that Connor awoke to a light rustling sound.

Carefully and quietly Connor removed his covers and fished his gun from his bedside table drawer and his cellphone for good measure. He placed the cellphone in his pocket before carefully creeping closer to the door with his gun held out in front of him.

With his left hand he attempted to open the door when he heard a slight rustle. He made to turn but before he could make a move, someone was pointing a gun to his neck.

"Don't move or I'll shoot."

The soft raspy voice was familiar.

"Kamski? Is that you?"

"Connor, glad to see you remember me."

Connor set the gun down and put his left hand in his pocket. All he hoped for is that Hank received his text message.

"Are you going to kill me?" Connor inquired.

"Last I checked we weren't enemies, Connor."

"You were convicted of multiple counts of first degree murder because of me so you'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you."

"Do you really think I killed those people?"

"You have every reason to."

"I won't deny your reasons but tell me what good would killing you do when the real murderer is still out there. What you've done it doesn't change what we once were. We're still friends, Connor."

"How do I know you're not the murderer?"

"I think you know the answer to that. Dead people don't come back to life without a reason."

Then it hit him. Elijah Kamski had been executed a couple of months ago after being sentenced to the death penalty.

"You're an android."

"That's right. An HK-600 to be exact."

"The housekeeper android?"

"It can take on any appearance that the owner wants. It was just a matter of transferring my memories into programmable data and I made a copy of myself should I die."

"It would have been better off if you weren't around."

"I came to warn you," he said.

"Warn me?" Connor asked. "Warn me about what?'

"Don't go digging into files that relate to Cyberlife. If the others know your position they'll do anything to ensure your death."

"Are you talking about Cyberlife?"

Connor heard someone kick the door down. Someone trudged up the stairs and opened Connor's bedroom door.

Hank stood outside the door with contorted eyebrows pointing his gun at Kamski.

"Ahem."

"Mind telling me what's going on, Lieutenant?"

"Guess that's my cue to leave."

Kamski fished something out of his pocket throwing it towards Hank.

It appeared to be a black ball but the moment it landed on the floor it busted in smoke as the two police officers turned to shoot at him. Kamski's presence was completely concealed in the smoke.

By the time the smoke cleared there was no evidence of Kamski having been there.

"Who was that?" Hank asked.

"Elijah Kamski."

"Wasn't that the culprit from that old case of yours gathering dust?"

"Not gathering dust anymore, Anderson."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know but if anything he says has any credibility I think I might have caught the wrong guy."

"Having doubts, Lieutenant?"

"No but I have doubts an android would conduct a serial killing."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Markus and Carl visit the art gallery.

Once they arrived at the address of the art gallery, Carl parked the car and the two headed out walking towards the art gallery which was housed in Kamski's manor.

Walking to the door, Markus placed his hand on the scan pad by the door.

"Markus Manfred, invitation granted."

The door opened and the two stepped inside. The gallery was filled full of fancy dressed people talking amongst themselves.

A man with brown hair greeted him.

"You're Markus, correct?"

"That's me. You're Elisha right?"

The man smiled.

"You can call me that if you like."

Carl was oddly quiet.

Markus turned towards him.

"What's the matter, Carl? Aren't you going to say hi?"

He didn't say anything however but just stared coolly at the man.

On further inspection, the man who had greeted them had an undercut. The remaining locks of his brown hair tied in a braid.

"Well, I hope you have a good time at the gallery. There are snacks and refreshments at the table over there."

Elisha gestured towards the table with the punch and cookies.

"The cookies are especially good. My wife made them for everyone."

"I'm sorry about your son. I heard he was a good man."

"That may be true but still all good people have their bad days. My son was no exception. Did you know him when he was alive?"

"No but my brother did. He always said good things about him, always said that Kamski seemed to enjoy teasing him alot."

"Well Elijah can be a bit difficult at times. I seem to recall that he would always talk about how your brother was always so gullible and would always act melodramatically angry at the first sign of teasing. He always described your brother as a bit uptight."

"That sounds like him but he only acts that way around people he likes. My brother's not really a social butterfly so he usually keeps to himself but when he was in the military I sensed he felt lonely. Only when Kamski came up he started opening up to me a bit more."

"I see."

After talking with Elisha, Markus scouted the gallery for Carl.

"Excuse me," a female voice called out to him.

He turned and saw a middle aged woman had addressed him. Her hair was red tied back in a bun and she wore a silk green outfit comprised of a flowing skirt and frilly blouse.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Elisha informed me that you were the artist responsible for the paintings on the wall towards the back of the house."

"I am."

"How much are you selling them for?"

Markus shrugged.

'Weird, never had anyone wanting to buy my artwork before.'

"2000 dollars a sufficient price? Or maybe 3000?"

"I'll have to discuss it with my father."

Markus continued to search for Carl finally finding him chilling by the punch table looking at the art on the walls.

"Carl?"

He turned towards Markus.

"Oh Markus, there you are."

"I was just looking for you. You'll never guess what happened?"

"Oh really? Then what happened."

"Someone wants to buy my art."

"Really?"

Carl didn't seem surprised by the revelation at all.

"Yeah."

"How much are they asking for them?"

"3000 a piece. I wanted to ask you for your advice before I make a decision but I figure if I can sell them for that much I might be able to pay for Leo's mother's treatment."

"3000 is not nearly enough money as you should be getting from your art pieces, Markus. True art is invaluable, you can't put a price tag on it. Show some pride for your work."

"Carl, this isn't about pride. I want to help Leo. It's my obligation."

"Markus, you don't owe Leo anything."

"I know but I feel my love won't reach him any other way."

Carl sighed.

"Then I think that's an adequate price."

Markus saw that Carl had said that in a somber tone. He didn't appear happy with his decision but was putting on a smile to satisfy him.

'My art is invaluable to me but sometimes family is more important.'

After the transaction was made, Markus met up with Carl.

"Want to go home?"

"Definitely."

The two headed back to the car and drove back home.

After arriving back home, Carl and Markus headed inside their home.

"You're not angry with my decision are you?"

"You know I'm not programmed to be angry, Markus," Carl said.

"I know what you're programmed to be but it doesn't mean you don't feel anger."

"I'm not angry. I'm merely at a loss. What has the world come to that people feel like money can buy everything? What does it say about the world when the things that matter to you can only be bought with a pricetag?"

"I've found that for us, it's a way to cope with our own value. When you think about it how significant are we really? Our skills, our talents none of them are unique. While I'm a good artist there is always artists that are better than me. What you can't replace is the love you give to the people around you and that's truly what makes life worth living."

"I suppose. Say, want a snack before bed?" Carl asked.

Markus raised his left brow.

"What'd you have in mind?"

Carl chuckled.

"You'll just have to find out."

Just as the two were heading for the dining room, Carl caught sight of a bright light coming from the studio.

"That's weird. I'm certain I turned off the light in the studio," he said.

"You did."

"I'm going to call the police then we can check it out."

After Carl made the call to the police, the two carefully walked inside the studio.

Inside the two spotted Leo hovering over a table full of paintings.

"Leo!" Carl called out.

Leo turned and pulled a gun on them.

Carl looked bewildered.

"What are you doing?"

"You refused to help me so I'm helping myself."

"Wait Leo. I can fix this."

Leo laughed. His eyes were sad though.

"It's too late. The doctors said she died this morning. I'm just selling the rest of these to pay for her funeral expenses."

"No, you're not."

"How are you going to stop me, old man? Gonna kill me? I'll just come right back brand new. Mom never told you did she? About how I died in that accident. All those times you thought she was squandering your money. She was using it to pay for my funeral expenses. One day, some person from Cyberlife offered her an android in the likeness of her son. That android was me. You killed me and Cyberlife will make another one in my place and I'll never forget what you've done to my mother."

"Don't do this Leo. He's the only family you have left."

"Some family. He loves you more than us."

"Please don't kill him."

Leo sighed.

"It doesn't matter. Her funeral has been already paid. After I get the rest of the money I'll be able to relinquish all our debts and I won't have to rely on you anymore."

"Where did you get the money?"

Leo chuckled.

"Isn't that a funny story. A woman offered to pay the entire sum if I killed my own father. She said father and his friend had sabotaged her business. Before that entire affair she said her mother had once been CEO of Cyberlife and that they killed her. Him and Elijah Kamski."

Carl's eyes widened.

"You talked with Mariah?"

"Yeah. What a funny coincidence."

"Mariah thinks we killed her mother?"

"Yes, and I'm inclined to agree."

Carl made a step towards him. Leo shot the gun.

The bullet missed hitting the wall behind him.

"Listen Leo, it's not like that."

"What do I care about your little family secrets?"

"I'm just paying my debt."

Markus stepped in between them.

"Knock it off, Leo."

"Step back, Markus."

Carl stepped back but Markus lunged forward.

Leo pushed him aside.

"Any last words, Carl?"

Carl sighed staring at his son pensively.

"Just take care of yourself, alright."

Just before Leo pulled the trigger, Markus ran forward.

Leo fired.

"Markus!"

Markus keeled forward. Red blood coming from his right eye.

Carl grabbed Markus by the shoulders.

Leo looked on in panic dropping the gun.

Carl set Markus on the ground and carefully kicked the gun away from his son.

Just then, the police came marching in holding their guns out.

"Hold it right there."

One of the policemen got in contact with the hospital. While the other one questioned Carl.

"Now what's going on? You said that there was a break in?"

"Yes, my son came in and tried to steal some of our things before threatening me with a gun."

After finishing they finished questioning Carl and Leo, the ambulance came up. Some of the men marched up to place Markus in a gurney and ship him straight to the hospital.

"Is it alright if I accompany him?"

"Sure, are you his father?"

"Yes."

Carl got in the vehicle and the ambulance drove to the hospital.

The police had told him that his son would be charged for assault with a deadly weapon at least and the charges were pending for attempted manslaughter.

By the time they reached the hospital, doctors were attempting to stablilize Markus.

Carl idled in the waiting room twiddling his thumbs anxiously as he waited for them to operate on Markus to see if the bullet had caused any brain damage.

He connected with his other son's phone.

"Hello?"

"Connor?"

"Oh, Carl. I didn't expect you to call here so late."

"You're as calm and collected as ever."

"No need to continue with the charade. You didn't call to make small talk."

"It's about your brother. He's in the hospital. Leo accidentally shot him in the eye."

"Oh is he alright?"

"They are working on him right now."

"What room is he in?"

"Room 111."

"I'll be there."

With that he hung up.

A good thirty minutes passed before Connor arrived accompanied by an older man.

"What's his status?" he asked.

"They're just finishing up his surgery."

Just then a brown skinned woman came out.

"Are you Mr Manfred?"

"Yes, that's me."

"We just finished operating on his eye and we've taken him to the recovery room. Do you wish to see him?"

"Yeah."

She regarded the two other men with him.

"Are you with him?" she asked.

"I'm his son," Connor said.

"I'm a friend," the other man said.

The nurse let them in.

"The doctor wants you to be quiet when you go in the patient's room."

"Will do."

As they stepped inside, Carl took in Markus who was laying peacefully in bed. A bandage covered his right eye.

"So why did you come here anyway?"

"Can't I see my own brother or is he not considered my family anymore?"

"It's not like that. The last time we saw each other I got the impression you never wanted to see my face again," Carl said.

"You were clearly ashamed of me and my decisions."

"Is that what you thought?"

"I wanted to pursue a career, Markus didn't even have a supporting job. I put everything aside for you despite my own wishes and you wanted me to give it up for him."

"Connor."

"It hurt. It hurt a lot."

"So you came here just for Markus."

"I never hated my brother."

"But you hate me."

"Not as much as I could."

"That's a comforting thought. Perhaps in hindsight it was rather insensitive of me to put Markus' needs before your own but if I could take it back, believe me I would."

Carl clutched Markus' hand.

"In any case, you seem to be doing alright. I heard from Markus you got yourself a new place."

"That was years ago."

"Got yourself a new partner too?"

Connor's arms were folded.

"Yeah, this is Hank Anderson."

He gestured to Hank before gesturing back to Carl.

"Anderson, this is Carl Manfred. He raised me and my brother when we just kids."

Hank smiled before holding his hand out.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr Manfred."

Carl reciprocated his handshake.

"Just call me, Carl. I hope Connor's been treating you well."

Hank glanced at Connor, a mysterious smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"As well as expected I suppose. You never told me you had a brother."

"You never asked," Connor murmured.

"Excuse me, I need to check his vitals."

A curvy female nurse with tied back black hair came in with some floral scrubs on checking in on him.

Hank caught Connor glancing at her.

"Looks like your type."

"Hardly," Connor murmured, feeling his face heat up.

How embarrassing.

"Do you even have a type?"

"Of course not. There are bigger concerns in the world than which woman I should date?"

"Doesn't mean you haven't entertained the thought. I admit I'm kinda curious."

"You'll just have to remain curious."

Once she was finished the nurse left the room.

Carl chuckled.

"Say Carl, your son ever pick up-"

"No, he's been a virgin since I took him in."

Hank chuckled.

"Why'd you have to go and word it like that?" Connor asked.

"It's true isn't it?"

"That's beside the point."

"I know you've always been the successful one of the family but sometimes I worry about you. There are thoughts that keep me up at nights, nightmares that you die an old shriveled lonely man."

"Don't be so melodramatic."

"I'm not."

"I'm fine with the way things are. You can't just expect me to accept you back so quickly."

"I did not expect that but Connor there is only so long you can hold a grudge before it consumes you."

Connor snorted and headed out with Hank in tow.

"Your father seems like a nice guy."

"Well he has that much going for him at least."

"Is that why you don't carry the same last name as him?"

"I wouldn't let him change my last name because it was the only thing I could control."

"So you were adopted then?"

"Yeah Carl took me and Markus in when we were little."

"He's an android though isn't he? I saw the LED on the right side of his forehead."

"Just because I was on the opposing side of the war doesn't mean I hate androids. It really comes with the kind of people that build them. You build a machine to kill another person without remorse that's a different story. If friendship and loyalty can't even overwrite that kind of program why would you care about them?"

"I never thought you'd be a person who values loyalty."

"Not blind loyalty. Every now and then, I could use correction. It helps keep me on the path of the straight and narrow. I just ask that no one stabs me in the back at the end of the day."

Later after Hank and Connor had left, the nurse gestured for Carl to hold the ice pack to his eye before she left.

Markus's eyelids flickered.

An intense pain burst from his skull.

"The doctor told me to tell you not to open your eyes."

"Carl?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"What happened?"

"Leo shot you. The doctor said it was a direct orbital floor fracture. They had to remove pieces of the bones from your eye."

"Oh, I see. Are you alright, Carl?"

"I'm fine. You should be less concerned about me. I'm replacable you're not."

"That may be true but Carl, I would still do it again if it meant saving your life."

"Of all the foolish things to come out of your mouth, I never want to hear you speak like that again. You are worth so much more than me. A father never wants to see his child die before him."

"Oh, I-I didn't realize..."

Just then Markus heard a ruckus outside. It sounded like loud scuffling,

"What's that?" he asked.

"I'll check it out."

Carl got up and looked out the room just as a loud noise rang out.

A group of men in black uniforms with masks obscuring their features marched through the hospital as though they owned the place.

"Holy sh-t."

"What's going on?"

"Someone's shooting at the nurses."

"Who?"

"Quiet."

Carl raised his internal mike to pick up what was going on.

"I know he's here. We were asked to pay him a visit and take him back with us."

"He's not taking any visitors other than close friends and family and you fall under neither of those categories."

"Our orders override all of your hospital regulations. You protect them we'll use any means to stop you."

"You can try."

That's when Carl heard the shot ring out and the nurse collapsed to the floor.

One of the other guys with him came back from the room ahead.

"Did you find him?"

"No, I think Mr Manfred may be in the next room."

Quickly Carl went back to his room.

"Markus."

"Carl, you sound frantic. What is it?"

"We've got to hide."

"I can't exactly move. The nurse told me to take it easy."

"If you listen to that nurse's instructions, you'll be dead before that eye will ever get a chance to heal."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Got any places we could hide?"

Carl looked around.

There was the curtain separating them from the bed next door.

89 percent chance of being detected.

A locked up bathroom was near the end of the room.

90 percent chance of being detected.

There was a large window next to it looking tightly secure.

95 percent chance of being detected.

Since it was the third floor Markus probably wouldn't make it out alive.

The ceiling looked like it had removable panels. Carl scanned the floor above.

It was currently uninhabited. All that was above them was pipes and circuitry.

10 percent chance of being detected.

"I got an idea."

Carl got on the bed next door and removed the ceiling panel setting it on the bed before walking back to Markus' bedside.

He removed the ice pack from Markus' eye and helped him to his feet.

Markus was hit with awful vertigo.

Carl supported an arm on his shoulder helping him to the bed.

He got on the bed pulling Markus up.

"Reach out and grab the ledge," he said.

Markus clung to it.

"I'm going to lift you. You gotta crawl up there alright."

"Got it."

Minutes later, the men with obscured faces marched into Markus' room only to discover his bed is empty.

The other men looked around.

One of them glanced at a nurse's schedule written on a white board.

"Looks like someone was here."

"Whoever it was left in a rush."

"They couldn't have got far the window isn't even open."

"Whoever they were they must have snuck past us when we weren't looking."

The men cleared out of the room.

Markus and Carl were on top.

"Looks like the coast is clear," Carl said.

"So what now?" Markus asked.

"We get out of here."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara awakes the next day to trouble.

The next morning, Kara abruptly awoke. She was certain that she heard a loud pounding noise.

"Kara, Kara."

It appeared Alice was calling out to here from the corner of her bed in a pleading voice. She reached for Kara's right hand attempting to pull her out of bed.

"Come on. Let's go. We got to get out of here."

Kara got up following Alice downstairs.

"What's going on?"

As she headed downstairs it became clear. The sound of something slamming against the door along with the sound of gunfire became obvious.

Alice led Kara to an area on the wood floor in her living room and opened it.

"Where's Luther?" she stammered.

"He's outside."

"What?!"

"Kara, we got to go. Luther told me to get you. We're supposed to leave before those men catch us."

"The h-ll with that."

She climbed down. It appeared there was a basement below her house that she had stocked full of books. She could barely see the ones below the stairs.

"Careful, Alice."

Alice had stumbled across the shelves against the back wall causing the books to knock over.

Kara knelt down next to her.

"Are you alright?'

"I'm fine. I just thought I saw a light switch over here."

"Really? It's kinda hard to see down here with the lights out."

Still it didn't take long for Alice to find the switch.

The light revealed that the bookcase that Alice had run into was hiding a strangely grooved wall.

Kara picked up the books and placed them back on the shelf.

Strange how most of the books down here looked old and covered in dust in cobwebs. Even stranger was the book on the first shelf that looked like a new purchase.

She reached for the book intrigued when the bookshelf suddenly began to move outward revealing a room behind it.

Inside the room was alit by the light in the basement. It contained a couch, an unlit lantern and a desk.

"Hide in here for now. I need to do something."

"But Kara."

Kara pushed the bookshelf door back in place.

"Keep quiet. I'll be back. Don't make a sound no matter what."

With that she closed the hidden passage putting the new book back in place before heading upstairs.

Once she was back above the basement she closed the faux floor hearing no noise upon heading back up.

She did see a couple of shadows from some men outside.

'What's going on.'

Kara carefully opened the backdoor a crack to take a peek outside.

No one was in the back. She stepped outside.

Suddenly someone grabbed from behind holding her in a choke hold.

Kara felt her heart beating quickly, energy bursting through her body.

She looked down and saw the guy's shoes on both sides of her feet.

Kara stomped on his right foot causing him to yelp.

She elbowed him back, loosening his grip on her. She turned and kicked him.

He grunted hitting his head against the wall. The knockback providing time to grab the object he carried on him.

It appeared to be a baton. She hit him in the head before he collapsed to the ground.

Perusing the body, she found he also had a gun in the holster on the other side of his hip.

Just then she heard rustling coming from the front and the sound of footsteps coming in her direction. She dropped the baton and held out her gun deciding to round the left corner cautiously in case they intended to box her in on both sides.

Kara peered around the corner and saw one person coming from that direction.

She quickly stepped out firing at the guy at close range. He collapsed to the ground before she ran up to the front of the house.

Two men were standing surprised by her presence. Luther was sitting on the steps, his back leaning against the front door.

His shoulder was a bloodied mess.

Her presence however made him straighten.

"Kara, what are you doing here?"

She shot at one of the guys as he lifted his gun to shoot her.

Luther kicked the other's guy's legs granting him enough time to grab the gun that had fallen from the other guy's hands.

Kara glared at him.

Luther gazed at her with wide eyes.

"Don't be an idiot. You think I'm really going to leave you here to die?"

He raised his gun and fired.

Kara heard a body collapse behind her.

She turned and saw a man had fallen behind her, a blue wound in his head from where the bullet had fired.

Kara snorted before regarding the man in front of her. She smiled.

"Good shot."

She ran to him and helped him to his feet.

"Where's Alice?" he stammered.

She supported his right arm on her left shoulder.

"Don't worry. She's alright."

"We gotta get out of here as soon as possible."

"I know. Do you know where I put my flashlight?"

"In the kitchen."

Kara helped Luther to the kitchen.

"Which cupboard?"

Luther gestured to the drawer above the cupboard next to the stove.

"That one."

Kara opened it finding a small flashlight.

"That'll do."

She led Luther to the faux floor removing the panel.

"Oh she's hiding in the secret passage?" Luther asked.

Kara raised her right brow.

"You know about this place?"

"Of course who do you think built it? You were always paranoid about government surveillance and wanted me to build a stronghold in case they sent their own set of robots after you."

She snorted.

"Not so paranoid now, am I?"

Luther chuckled.

"How'd you find this place anyway? Did your memories return?"

"No, Alice found it."

"I have to admit that girl's very perceptive."

"Wait here."

"Not much I can do otherwise."

Kara headed downstairs. Turning on the flashlight she walked until she reached the far wall.

Spotting the light switch, she turned it on before turning off her flashlight.

She scoured the bookshelf looking for the obscure book before pulling it out.

The door opened like before revealing Alice sitting on the bed, huddled in a corner and her legs brought up to her chest.

She was frowning for a moment before it melted into a relieved smile.

"Kara, you're ok."

Alice lunged forward to embrace Kara.

Kara chuckled.

"Of course I am. I told you I would be."

"So what now?" Alice asked.

"We leave."

"But where will we go?"

"I don't know but we can't stay here. I'm certain more men will be back if we stay here."

"Ok."

Alice followed Kara up the stairs.

"Luther?"

Luther cracked a pained smile.

"Hey Alice."

Alice looked on with a frown.

"Are you alright? You're bleeding."

"I'm fine."

Kara snorted.

"No, you're not. We gotta get you patched up or I'm not taking you anywhere."

Luther sighed.

"Alright. I think I remember you telling me some stuff that you learned from that good friend of yours."

"Good friend?"

"Yeah, you were friends with that male nurse. I think you said his name was Simon."

"What'd I learn?"

"I need to apply pressure to the wound. You need to make a tourniquet to stop the blood."

"Oh I see. Will a shirt work?"

"That should work."

Kara ran upstairs to get a shirt from her dresser before heading back.

"This good?"

"Yeah. I think now you gotta tear it in thin strips."

Alice handed her a pair of scissors.

Kara sighed before cutting through her shirt with ease.

"Now tie them together."

She tied the strips together making a long piece of material.

Luther attempted to remove his shirt slowly wincing as the shirt stuck to his bloodied wound.

Kara helped him pull the remainder of it off leaving nothing but his bloodied shoulder.

"Now wrap it tightly around the wound."

She wrapped the material around shoulder.

Luther winced.

"Is that too tight? If it's too painful I could loosen it."

"You get it any looser than it wouldn't do it's job. It's not supposed to be comfortable. It's supposed to stifle the blood flow."

"I'm gonna pack some things and then we should be ready to go."

"You got a couple of bags in the closet," Luther said.

"I can help if you like," Alice said.

"Sure, can you pack some clothes in a bag?" Kara asked.

Alice nodded before heading off.

'I sure hope she can find them.'

Kara gathered some of the blankets on her bed setting it in a giant backpack she had stuffed in her closet. She decided not to pack the more thicker ones to leave room for more storage.

When she was satisfied she headed downstairs with the bag slung around her back only to find Luther wasn't seated where she left him.

He returned with a bag of his own slung over one shoulder.

Alice came down with an old drawstring bag full of clothes.

"Here Alice, I'll hold that for you," Luther offered.

She smiled.

"That's alright. I can carry this."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm positive."

"Alright."

With that the three headed out making their way to the bus.

"We probably should catch the bus three blocks from here in case they tail us," Luther suggested.

"Good idea."

Eventually the three arrived at the bus stop. Some time later the bus stopped and the three got on board paying the fare.

"So where are you three heading?"

"To Downtown Detroit."

It was strange driving among the streets of Detroit. Had it always looked so peaceful? Not too long ago, the city was filled to the brim with crime.

Most of the jobs of clearing out crime in the city were given to androids yet nobody seemed to oppose them or their control of the city. That's what it was wasn't it. Hardly anyone knew how to take on a job, and there was no incentive to take on a job that wasn't going to pay you money.

Money was obsolete when the government ensured you had your own methods of paying for it's services to the citizens.

That's why Kara never accepted androids in her home. Just another way it had people under it's thumb Luther supposed.

Once they made it to the city, the three got off the bus downtown. Eventually the three made it to a motel.

Inside was a brown skinned man behind the front counter.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"How much is a room for the night?"

"It's free for the night. We don't charge people to stay here as long as you got a billing card."

Kara looked at Luther with a raised brow.

He took the bag off his shoulder and rummaged for a card in his bag before handing it to the man.

"Here you go."

"Excuse me for a moment."

The man took out an LED from his pocket placing it on the side of his head.

'Must be another android.'

"Thank you very much," he said before handing the card back to Luther. "Your room with be in room 132."

"Alright."

With that the three headed to their room.

Luther glanced around the room. A king sized bed stood against a wall on the corner of the room facing a wide screen television.

Heat traveled up Luther's face as he realized the situation that Kara put them in.

"Um Kara, mind explaining something to me?"

Kara glanced at him with a frown.

"What is it, Luther?"

"You told that android we would only be buying one room for the night. Why?"

"It's easier to keep track of everyone that way. Then if we run into an emergency, we can leave together without bringing it to anyone's attention."

Something in the way she said that made a chill creep up Luther's spine.

"Nothing's gonna happen Kara," Luther said.

"If you want to believe that, then that's fine but I'd rather be safe than sorry."

He sighed.

"Where did you intend for all of us to sleep anyway?"

"We could share the bed. All three of us."

Luther looked at Kara as if she was crazy.

"I can sleep on the edge of the bed. There's plenty of room to sleep there," Alice said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Luther groaned.

"You don't sound too thrilled with the idea of sharing the same bed with me."

"Kara, you can't miss the implications that arise when people find a man and a woman sharing the same bed together especially one as attractive as you are."

"You're not doing the birds and the bees are you?" Alice asked.

Kara glanced at Luther in accusation. He was blushing a dark red.

"No, of course not," she said confidently.

Kara leaned forward whispering in Luther's ear.

"You're not going to hump me in my sleep are you?"

Luther frowned.

"O-of course not," he stammered.

"Then what's the problem?"

He groaned.

"If you'd rather sleep on the floor, that's always an option. I was just thinking about your shoulder."

Luther's heart warmed at her thoughtfulness.

He sighed.

"Alright, you win."

Kara chuckled. She removed the top layer of covers and crawled in on the right side while Luther laid on top of the covers on the left side.

Alice sat on the edge of the bed.

Kara reached out to the bedside table and picked up the remote, turning on the television.

It was cued to the news. The scrolling headline below read: 'Local Bombshell: Five RK-800s destroyed outside local resident's home.'

A woman news anchor was on the screen reciting the events of what happened.

"We just received news of this horrible slaughter, just thirty minutes ago. A young Detroit couple was spotted with a young girl that was kidnapped from 41 year old Todd Williams. Once confronted the couple opened fire killing all five androids on the scene."

It showed outside footage of a two story house.

"Hey Kara, isn't that your house?" Alice asked.

Kara glanced at the tv with horror.

"If you see any of these people give our android hotline a call."

On the screen was a photograph of Luther and Kara.

"Sh-t."

Suddenly the sound of a siren came from outside their door.

Kara turned off the tv.

A couple of red, white and blue lights glowed through the window next to the bed.

Luther opened the blinds on the window a thread and peeked outside.

"Looks like the police already arrived."

"Sh-t."

"Don't panic, Kara. We can get out of this. Just get ready."

Kara and Alice picked up their bags. Luther picked up his as well.

Opening the door a hair, Luther scouted both directions of their door.

The coast was clear.

He headed out and looked down off the alcove down to the parking lot below.

Two police cars were parked outside the entrance. A couple of men were heading up the stairs from the left.

'Sh-t.'

Luther looked to the right. There was a shadowy alcove that might obscure them for a while. They could hide there until the coast was clear.

He opened the door and gestured to Kara and Alice.

"Kara, Alice, come on."

The two followed Luther who was briskly running to the shadowy alcove just as the police started marching up to the same floor as their room.

Kara saw that Alice was edging awfully close to the lighted part of the hall and pulled her further in the darkened alcove.

The loud voices of the men outside the door were loud and clear even from where all three of them were standing.

"Open up, detroit police."

When all was quiet, one of the men kicked the door open and stepped inside along with the three other men.

"Now's our chance. Quickly we gotta get outta here."

Kara and Alice followed Luther down the stairs on the right side before quickly running through the back of the motel from an alcove that led to a back road to the rest of the city.

"How do you think they found us?" Kara asked.

"Probably that android at the front desk. We should have known better. Those things are programmed to inform the police of any criminal activity that happens under their noses."

"Even if it's a lie, apparently."

"We don't know that," Luther said. "Maybe Todd is looking for Alice."

"Dad wouldn't send androids to kill you."

Luther felt a chill creep up his spine.

"If he didn't send those androids, then who did?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Kamski's visit, Hank is worried about Connor.

After Kamski's late night visit, Connor was left feeling bewildered. Hank, it appeared shared similar feelings about the matter.

His eyes seemed to drift away in the distance as his right hand absentmindedly stroked his chin.

He had been acting like this for most of the day up until the evening.

"You seem preoccupied, Anderson. Is something wrong?" Connor asked.

"What happened the other day? Why was Kamski at your house?"

Connor shrugged.

"I don't know why he was there."

"You didn't invite him?" Hank asked cheekily.

Connor glared at him.

"Why do you think I called you in the first place?"

Hank's frown deepened.

"You mean to tell me he broke into your home without no one noticing? Even when your house has been installed with the recent state of the art surveillance technology."

"Wouldn't mean a thing if it's built around Kamski's own code. A lot of companies used his programming in alot of their products."

"I didn't know that. When you first called, I thought you were pulling some kind of a prank. You didn't have to call me. It would have been easier to call 911."

"It would have taken them longer to get there and you told me I could call anytime."

"Any reasonable time. Some of us need beauty sleep."

Connor raised his left brow in disbelief.

"I'm not just talking about me, Connor. If I had known you were going to call me i would have left my cellphone on my bedstand. My ringtone's so loud, it startled my son so much he fell right out of bed. Of course it gave me a good laugh but-"

"I see. Next time I'll just leave it in the hands of a 911 operator."

Hank chuckled.

"Oh come on, Connor I was just playing. I hate to admit it but I'm glad I'm the first person you thought to call. To be honest I was a little worried I'd arrive too late."

He smiled. Connor noted it was a sad smile.

"A grumpy son is the least of my worries if it means seeing my partner another day. If it's an emergency I don't care what time it is. Call me alright."

"Alright."

"Especially Kamski shows his face again."

"Speaking of Kamski, he said something about there being a connection between the last two cases and Cyberlife."

Hank's eyes narrowed.

"You don't think he could have been lying?"

"He may be secretive but Kamski's never been a liar though he has been known to evade the truth."

"I thought you said you weren't exactly best friends."

"We aren't but being a part of a squad you get to know the members of your team very well."

Hank frowned.

"I see."

"He also told me not to pry too much. What exactly does Cyberlife have to gain keeping this hush-hush? Does your son know anything about this? I mean he's the assistant CEO isn't he?"

"Cole's never told me anything about this. I don't think he's involved in it at all."

Connor's cellphone chose that point to ring.

The young man took out the phone from his pocket. It was a call from Carl, his stepfather.

"Hello?"

"Connor?"

The raspy voice on the other end was panicky and filled with worry. What was Carl doing calling him?

He glanced at Hank who was looking at him with a raised brow.

"Oh Carl, I didn't expect you to call here so late."

"You're as calm and collected as ever."

It sounded accusatory with the intent of riling him up. Carl had the habit of making statements like that to get a reaction out of him.

Rising to the bait however would just lead to Carl making him feel guilty for acting out irrationally. Instead Connor chose the neutral route.

Hank noted after Connor had answered his phone that the young man's usual stoic expression broke. The subtle movement of his eyebrows and dilated pupils conveyed that whoever was on the phone had surprised him.

Even weirder was the brief frown on his face as though what this Carl had to say had offended Connor. As quickly as it appeared however it was replaced by an unnaturally stone like face making Hank feel as though he imagined it.

"No need to continue with the charade. You didn't call to make small talk."

Not long after that, Hank saw his eyes widen.

"Oh is he alright?"

"What room is he in?"

"I'll be there."

Connor hung up the phone.

"What was that all about?"

"I just got a call from my father at the hospital. I'll need to call in early to go see him."

"Is it alright if I accompany you? I can drive you over there. It's just a couple minutes until our shift is over. I'm sure Fowler will understand."

Connor nodded.

"Alright."

After the two finished visiting with Carl, Connor followed Hank back to his car. As they were heading out of the hospital, Connor spotted several men masked in black masks and suits at the front desk.

Once they were seated in the car, Hank spoke.

"Y'know you make the most funniest faces when you're flustered."

"Of all times, you pick now to tease me about it?"

"I think now is a good time."

"Did you see those men at the front desk?"

Hank frowned.

"Yeah, they stick out like a sore thumb."

"I wonder what they were doing there."

"They weren't visiting anyone that's for sure."

Connor glanced at him.

"What makes you say that?"

"Those men were androids. They carry on the same uniform as the RK-800s."

"You mean the androids that exclusively work for law enforcement?"

"You could say that."

"Why would they be at the hospital though?"

Hank shrugged.

"Who knows?"

He glanced at Connor.

"Listen why don't you drop by our place tonight?"

Connor raised a brow.

"Why?"

"I feel uneasy driving you back to your place especially with Kamski running amok and that threat."

"Wouldn't that be an inconvenience to you?"

"Not to me. I'll pitch the idea with Cole and see what he thinks."

As the two drove off, Connor glanced around the car. It was an old car from a company that no longer sold cars. A bobbing hula girl was sitting on the window on the passengers but not much customization over all.

"Is this your car?"

"Yeah, my son insisted I keep my old car even though I wanted to get a new one."

"Why?"

Hank shrugged.

"I don't know. Nostalgia maybe."

"I can see that."

As they drove by several streets, Connor spotted a familiar looking neighborhood. He had drove here in the past when he had been living with Carl.

If he remembered Carl used to live in a house on this block before moving in the large house on 8941 Lafayette Avenue.

They passed his old house before driving into a parking lot to a house five houses down.

Eventually the two parked outside a surprisingly quaint looking home. The two stepped out of the car.

"I'd never have imagined the assistant CEO living in a place like this," Connor said.

"Well it's more efficient than getting a home by yourself. You'd have no one to help clean it up when it gets messy."

"True."

"Maybe you ought to think of investing in a roommate yourself, Connor."

"I'm perfectly fine living on my own."

Hank glanced at him skeptically before fishing his keys from the pocket of his brown coat.

He unlocked the door gesturing for Connor to come in.

Connor followed behind Hank glancing at the interior of the living room.

A man with short blond hair was seated on the couch next to a large St Bernard that had cozied up next to him.

"Hey dad."

"Hi son."

"How was work?"

"Just your usual business and you?"

"Exhausting as usual. Mariah had me doing a lot of paperwork."

"I see. Do you mind some company? I brought someone from work."

Cole's blue eyes lit up at the sight of the young man behind his father.

"Cole this is my colleague, Connor Bourne," Hank said gesturing to him.

He motioned to Cole.

"Connor this is my son, Cole."

"Pleased to meet you."

Cole narrowed his eyes.

"Can you cook?"

"Um, yeah. I've been known to cook a few things."

Cole sighed.

"Thank goodness."

"Why?"

"My father's supposed to cook tonight but he's a hopeless cause. None of it is remotely edible."

"Hey!" Hank sputtered.

"So can you cook for us tonight?" Cole asked.

"Um sure."

"You don't have to agree if you don't want to," Hank said.

"That's alright. I don't mind cooking for you two. Can you show me the way around your kitchen?"

Hank showed Connor where he stored the pans.

"Do you got any meat?"

"Yeah."

"What about flour?"

"It's in the cupboard."

"Got any vegetables."

Hank's lips curled in a frown.

"Yuck."

"I worry when you say things like that."

"Oh yeah?"

He opened Hank's refrigerator. it had tons of condiments ranging from mayonnaise, jelly, Tabasco sauce, and ketchup.

A six pack of caffeinated, cherry flavored pop was on the second shelf alongside a box from a local pizza joint. Other food such as hamburgers bought from fast food restaurants was on the bottom shelf.

Connor perused the fruit bin finding a couple of apples but the vegetable was filled with another six pack of pop.

He glanced at Hank in disbelief.

"Really? One six pack of pop wasn't enough? This is one of the reason why America has one of the highest obesity rates."

Hank scoffed.

"Shut up, I know that. Who says any of that's for me anyway? The six packs belong to Cole."

Connor sighed before closing the fridge.

He walked up to Cole who moved the St Bernard closer to him before Connor sat on the couch beside him.

"What exactly does that old man fix you every day?"

Hank snorted.

"Well yesterday he tried to fix a steak and nearly burned the house down. The day before that he tried to make spaghetti but the sauce he made with it was terrible."

Connor glared at Hank.

Hank looked at Connor innocently.

"I tried to make it like I did in college. I used ramen and everything."

Connor hugged Cole close.

"Stop, you're killing this poor man."

Cole shifted uncomfortably.

"Um, Connor. This is kinda getting weird."

Hank folded his arms.

"Don't be so melodramatic, Connor."

Connor released Cole.

"Listen Cole, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can you go to the store? I need you to buy some things. Do you got something I can write on?"

Cole took off his tablet off the table and opened an app.

"Knock yourself out."

Connor wrote several things before handing it back to Cole.

"There you go."

"Ok, I'll be back," Cole said before snatching the keys off the table.

"Don't wreck the car," Hank said.

"Real funny."

With that Connor returned to the kitchen and got out the meat setting it on the counter and filleting it.

"What are you doing now?"

"Filleting the meat."

Hank stared at Connor with narrow eyes.

"It seems like you and Cole really hit it off, huh?"

Connor didn't turn from his task.

"Something about that bother you?"

"You think you're not social, if he had an option my son wouldn't talk to people at all yet he opened up to you."

"Is that so strange? We're both quiet people."

"It's not just him. Despite this lonely air about you there's also something gentle in your eyes. It's like you were made to attract people to you. When we were first met, you came across as an arrogant hotshot who looked down on people inferior to you. I found I wanted to bring you down a peg so I deliberately tried to p-ss you off. It never worked."

Connor stiffened.

"Who is to say that it didn't?"

"Sometimes it's hard to tell how you feel, you don't exactly emote, y'know. Most of the time, I found myself more angry when you didn't. I wanted to punch your lights out but I didn't."

Connor glanced at him.

"Why?"

Hank stammered, he seemed enraptured by Connor's gaze.

The way Hank was glancing at him with piercing blue eyes and his twitching smile made it seem like he was the only valued person in the room.

He ignored the way his heart was beating rapidly in his chest.

"W-whenever I looked at your eyes, I couldn't."

Connor turned to continue his work. He took out a large bowl from a cupboard and some oil and flour from another cupboard before pouring the flour in the bowl.

Hank watched him as he coated the meat with oil before Connor placed it in the bowl of flour.

Cole came back once Connor had finished cooking the meat. Most of it was already a nice golden brown.

Hank helped him unload the groceries on the kitchen counter. Connor took some onion and pepper from the bags and set it on the cutting board near the stove.

Taking out a kitchen knife from the silverware drawer, Connor set to work cutting the vegetables.

Hank snorted.

"You're very dexterous with your hands."

"I practice."

Cole observed them from where he was sitting. Connor and his father were getting along surprisingly well.

It seemed the two worked closely together. When Connor asked for something his father would fetch it for him. He didn't miss the glances he gave the young man either.

After finishing dinner, Hank helped Connor serve the plates. Once everyone was served, Connor went into the kitchen.

"Connor, what are you doing?"

"I just have to finish the dishes then I'll be back."

Once Connor had gone in the kitchen, Cole spoke.

"So what's the deal between you and Connor anyway?"

Hank sputtered. His eyes drifted away from his son's.

"Nothing, we're just coworkers."

Cole caught him staring at Connor's butt and snorted.

"Really, it looks to me like you really like him."

"What gives you that idea?"

"Your eyes are always on him and you're always teasing him."

"You're crazy."

"You used to look at mom that way."

Hank turned towards him in confusion.

"Cole, I know you wanted me to go back with her but it wouldn't be the same. I'm not the same person I once was and I can't be the person she wants me to be."

"I know. I just want you to be happy."

Hank softly gazed at his son.

"Cole..."

Connor joined them at the table as Cole took a bite from his plate.

His eyes widened with surprise.

"Wow, this is really good."

Connor glanced at Hank who had left his plate undisturbed.

"Aren't you going to eat, Hank?"

"I'm not hungry so I'm saving it for later."

Cole glanced at his father with a smug smirk.

"You're missing out. His food's really good, might even make you fall in love."

Hank felt his face heat up.

"Enough of that, Cole."

Connor noticed Hank avoiding his eyes.

"Dad, can you get me some pop in the fridge?"

"Alright, I guess I can put my plate in the fridge then."

With that Hank got up from his seat and took his plate with him to the fridge setting it in the second shelf before picking up a soda for his son.

He reclaimed his seat tossing the soda to Cole.

"Thanks dad."

"Listen Cole, is it alright if Connor stays with us for the night?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just think he might be in danger if he stays at his place."

"Oh."

"So is it alright?"

"It's your house, though. I really don't have a say do I?"

"You do, Cole. If he's not welcome here just say so."

Cole glanced at Connor.

"Look I don't mind him staying here but you can't protect him forever. What's gonna happen tomorrow?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Cole chuckled.

"I'm heading to bed. Don't keep up Connor too late."

After he had left, Connor turned to Hank. His eyes seemed to wander as he folded his arms.

"Are you alright? You look kind of tense."

"I'm fine."

Hank got some dog food from the cupboard scooping out some to put in a large white dog bowl that was labeled 'Sumo.'

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were worried about what Cole said but you don't come across to me for the worrying type."

Hank hissed.

"Don't talk so loud. The walls have ears."

"Sorry," Connor whispered.

"SUMO!" Hank called out, whistling for his dog who came bustling in, his feet clattering against the hard floor of the kitchen.

The St Bernard who Connor now knew as Sumo began chowing his food like it was his last meal.

Hank lowered his voice, speaking softly.

"I hate to admit it but you're right I am worried. Just because I seem calm doesn't mean I always am. I just don't want Cole to worry about me more than he already does."

"Then who will worry about you?"

Hank's eyes widened.

Connor smiled and winked at him.

"I guess that's my job isn't it?"

Hank smiled right back.

"Yes I supposed it is."

Connor turned to glance at the dog. Earlier he had noticed his left paw was a robotic attachment.

"I suppose there's a story why your dog has that metal leg?"

Hank shrugged.

"Don't really know. A while back, Sumo went missing and Cole brought him to the house looking just like that."

"I wonder if it wasn't replaced by Cyberlife. I guess they have everything now, huh?"

"I suppose you're wondering where you're going to stay tonight?"

"Well yeah I suppose I am."

Hank motioned for Connor to follow him. He lead him past two rooms.

"If you need anything I'm in the bedroom on the left side. To the right of that is the bathroom."

He continued to walk further down the hallway until they reached a room on the left and right sides.

"Cole's room is across from your room and you'll be staying in the guest room on the right."

Hank left Connor to the accommodations. He opened the door to the guest room and stepped inside. Most of it was empty, except for the sheetless mattress on the bed to the right of the room and the old worn wooden dresser clear on the left side.

There was a knock on the door panel minutes later.

"Knock knock."

Connor turned to face Hank.

"I returned with blankets. I wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable."

"Can I use the shower or do you two use it?"

"I already took a shower. My son usually takes one in the morning before work. So it should be free for you to use."

"Got any spare clothes I could borrow."

"Yeah, you intending to shower before bed."

"Well it can be refreshing."

Hank chuckled.

"Well then I think I have some spare clothes in my closet. I'll be back."

He left and returned with some clothes in his arms.

Connor took the pile from him.

"Thank you."

Hank smiled.

"Good night, Connor."

"Good night, Hank."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl and Markus run into trouble.

Carefully Carl scanned the area where he and Markus were hiding. Besides the circuitry and pipes pinned to the side, most of this area was clear and just large enough that someone their size could crawl up there with ease.

He supposed that's the way architects built these more modern buildings with the revelations that the materials they used decades ago also caused the cancer rates to skyrocket.

He scanned the rest of the building finding a vent above the emergency exit.

"Come on, Markus. I think I found a way out."

"Where?"

Carl glanced at Markus and instantly remembered that his eye was still out for the count.

He gave him back the ice pack.

"Here, hold that to your eye and give me your hand."

Markus held out his hand to Carl.

He wrapped it around his right hand.

"I want you to hold on tight alright. I'll get us out of here."

Markus followed Carl's lead until they reached the vent.

Carl scanned the perimeter below.

No human or android was around the vicinity.

He held out his left hand. The index finger folded back as a red light shimmered from the finger.

Carefully Carl aimed it as the vent firing a laser from his finger loosening the vent before he pulled it out from below and set it aside.

"Are you ready, Markus?"

"Ready? Ready for what."

"I'm going to pull you down alright?"

Markus slowly eased back down the vent, Carl clinging to both his arms holding him steady.

Eventually he touched the floor.

"Okay Carl, I'm good," he whispered and Carl relinquished his gift.

With a sigh, Markus sat down leaning against the wall next to the emergency exit. Carl eventually joined him, both exiting the vent.

"We outta get going we can't stick around."

Markus attempted to get to his feet but the dizziness made him unsteady.

He covered his mouth.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Carl wrapped his left arm around Markus for support.

"Markus, I'll carry you out alright. Just hang in there."

He opened the door of the emergency exit and the two stepped inside to a bunch of stairs.

The two stopped once they reached the first floor. Only the nurse at the front desk was present.

It was a clear exit.

Carl carefully opened the door which made a creaking sound. He made sure the nurse was preoccupied with something else before making their way outside.

"I think I need to switch arms," Markus whispered.

Carl swapped arms, supporting Markus' left arm on his right shoulder.

"That good?"

"Yeah."

With that the two stepped outside and headed towards Carl's car.

Suddenly a loud boom whizzed in the distance.

Markus felt a sting come from his lower left side and winced.

"Markus, what's the matter?"

"I think I was shot."

"Sh-t."

"Freeze, hold it right there."

Carl stood still.

"We found them," A voice said behind them.

"Did you really think you could escape us? An RK-800 always accomplishes their mission."

"What are you going to do now?" Carl asked.

One of the androids took his arm.

"We're taking you with us?"

Markus winced clutching his wound.

"What about Markus?"

"We have no business with him."

Carl turned with a snarl pulling his arm out of their grasp.

"You shot him. The h-ll you don't."

"We'll do whatever means necessary to apprehend our target."

He folded his arms.

"You think I'll just let you capture me like that huh?"

"We left you with no other option. You have no choice."

"Oh I have plenty of choices. I could just refuse to go with you."

"Then you'll die."

'I'll die kicking your a-ses. You think I'm going to leave my son here to die because you immbeciles put your mission above the lives of another human being?"

The androids looked at him with confusion.

"I suppose the thought didn't cross your mind then? I guess your creator wasn't that much of a genius. Here's a newsflash, in case you haven't caught wind of my priorities. You leave my son here to rot, I will deactivate myself here and now and you'll die never accomplishing your mission."

"You wouldn't," one of the androids said. "You wouldn't throw your life away for nothing."

"But I would and your creator could care less if I die or not. You were all created from scrap metal and you could easily return to scrap metal anytime if you all prove faulty."

"Take the human with us."

Carl smiled as one of the androids grabbed his arm and lead him to the car.

The others hauled Markus behind him before shoving him in the car alongside Carl.

"Markus, you're going to be alright?"

He stroked his head soothingly as Markus laid on his lap.

The two eventually arrived at a large 12 story building being lead in by the androids.

Inside the building was a brown skinned woman behind the front desk. The androids had put their LEDS back on the sides of their forehead apparently while driving them here.

The woman behind the front desk appeared to already have her LED on the corner of her forehead. Surprising considering the mass population of androids preferred taking off the LEDs to make it harder to distinguish them from other humans. It had been a message of freedom at the time.

Wordless communication went on with the androids before the security lasers blocking the entrance to the building were removed.

Carl and Markus were shoved through an elevator at the end of a long hall. One of the androids pushed a button that read floor 5. Minutes later it stopped on floor five before Carl and Markus were ushered out.

They walked through another long hall spotting several barred doors on the sides.

Loud moans, and pained groans echoed the halls. Markus wasn't sure he wanted to know what those sounds were amidst the burning pain in his side.

Carl it appeared ignored it.

The two were eventually ushered to a room at the end of the hall and locked in a room with metal walls, a bed on the right corner with a large cushion made with a metal frame, and a metal sink on the left corner.

Quickly Carl set Markus on the bed kneeling down in front of him.

He placed his hand on the ice pack on his eye.

"How's your eye?"

Markus allowed Carl to remove it.

Blood was oozing out of the corners of his eyelids.

"It hurt before but now it hurts even worse."

Carl winced.

"I'm beginning to think we should have just stayed at the hospital."

"Too late for that now."

Carl removed his coat and shirt revealing his hairless chest.

He began ripping his shirt.

"Still we ought to do something with that wound of yours."

"What did you have in mind?"

"When I was built, this body was created to have all the functions of a housecare unit. Among those functions was caring for someone's injuries. One of the first things to do when presented with a severely bloody wound is to stiffle the blood."

Markus sighed.

"Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like this?"

Carl held a piece of fabric to his mouth.

"You can bite on that if the pain is too much."

Eagerly Carl tied strips of his shirt together.

Carefully unbuttoning Markus' shirt, Carl proceeded to wrap the handmade tourniquet around his wounds causing Markus to wince.

"I'm sorry. Y'know I don't mean to hurt you."

"It's alright Carl," Markus said through gritted teeth. "You gotta stop the bleeding."

After they were finished Carl let out a sigh of relief before redressing Markus.

"That ought to stop the blood for now but you ought to lie down. The nurse did say you had to take it easy."

Markus sighed before lying down.

Some hours later and someone knocked on their cell.

"The boss brought you lunch."

A plate of food was pushed through a hole at the bottom of the door before it was resealed.

Carl looked at it with disgust scanning the plate.

Some kind of hallucinogen drug was placed in the meal. It was as good rotten.

"So what's for lunch?"

"Poison and they know it. They want you dead, Markus and I was an idiot and fell for their stupid trap."

He kicked the food against the wall.

Hours passed it seemed before there was another knock on their celldoor.

"Anyone in here?" asked a soft voice.

"Yeah, what's it to you?"

"Good."

Suddenly Carl and Markus heard a clicking sound as if someone was fiddling with a lock or something.

One of the masked androids opened the door of the cell.

"Ch-st, didn't think I'd find anyone here in one piece."

The android removed it's helmet revealing a head of short blond hair and blue eyes.

"The name's Simon. I'm here to rescue you."

"Sure you're not one of those RK-800s trying to lull us into a sense of security."

Simon snorted.

"Are you one of those sick androids doing those sick experimentations on humans?"

"Not very subtle are you? There is a reason I didn't breach the topic."

"Carl, what's he talking about?"

Simon narrowed his eyes in Carl's direction.

"So he has a name huh?"

Markus snorted.

"Of course he does, he's my father."

"He could have easily brainwashed you to say that. You know what they've done to the humans held up here? I just passed by a room where an android was implanting robotic parts in a human while they were wide awake. The room was a bloody mess and they were screaming their lungs out."

"I know who damaged my eye and I know who shot me."

Simon sighed.

The only thing Carl is guilty of is raising me. How do we know you're not one of those androids who did either of those things?"

"I'd have hardly stood a chance releasing two wanted criminals with no backup. Y'know it's surprisingly easy getting the upper hand on them when they don't expect you. Surprisingly easy to kill as long as you can get a head shot. Learned that one the hard way," he muttered to himself.

He took out some guns from his holsters handing them to Carl and Markus.

"What's your name by the way?" Simon asked.

"Markus, and this is Carl, my father."

"We need to get out of here before someone trips security. Did you need some help?"

"He's fine," Carl said helping Markus to his feet.

"Then follow me," Simon said.

Carl and Markus followed him to a corner. Two androids were lying on the floor unconscious.

"You two will need disguises."

He pulled one of the androids in a dark room.

"So we'll undress these androids and steal their clothes."

Carl followed suit. His lips curled in disgust as Simon began removing the android's clothes.

"There is just something aesthetically pleasing about how they build these androids. I mean some would give money to have a hairless chest."

"Have some decency for chr-st's sake. You could at least avert your eyes."

Simon glanced at him causing Carl to tense up.

"Why? Are you disturbed by my bedroom eyes?

"You're treading on thin ice."

"Do you have a problem with removing his clothes? If you like I could take him off your hands.

Carl snapped.

"Be my guest."

Simon proceeded to remove the clothes off of the other android as well leaving them naked on the floor in nothing but their boxers.

"I'll help Markus."

"Thanks but no thanks," Carl said, glancing at Simon with narrowed eyes.

Simon sighed.

"We don't have time to play this prudish game. Time is of the essence."

"Fine but if you make any unwanted advances towards him I'll put a hole in your head."

Carl quickly changed into the clothes.

"What happened with you anyway? You said that android didn't shoot you."

Markus sighed as Simon deftly unbuttoned his shirt.

"My brother shot me in the eye and one of those RK-800s shot me in the side."

Simon hummed.

"He did a good job with the tourniquet though I suppose that might just be an advantage of his programming."

Markus snorted.

"You give androids way too much credit. I'm always seeing people do it on tv. If no one knows how to stop blood flow, they are idiots. I mean I'm not exactly the best example, but if you can learn that kind of stuff with no education there's really no excuse to ignore it when you're taught it on school."

Simon chuckled.

"I suppose."

He helped Markus in his clothes. Simon marveled at his work glancing up and down Markus' body.

"Sexy. I must say these clothes look good on you. Hugs your thighs in all the right places."

Markus felt his face heat up as he recalled overhearing him talk with Carl earlier. It seemed almost as though the voice was rehearsed.

'What exactly is he trying to hide?'

He was about to say something when Carl cut him off.

"Ahem."

"Sorry, looks like we gotta turn the heat down for the old man," Simon said smug. He placed his helmet back on his head.

"You should wear your helmets too. It'll be harder to distinguish us that way."

The two followed Simon until they reached a corner of the wall facing diagonally from the elevator.

Markus was about to head to the elevator when Simon's arm was held out to stop him.

"Not so fast," he murmured before pulling out the gun from his holster.

He aimed it high and that's when Markus noticed the security camera.

Simon fired, destroying the camera.

He glanced around in order to see if he had missed a camera or two before getting rid of them.

Simon motioned them to follow him to the elevator. Once they got on the first floor Carl peered around the corner spotting some more Rk-800s heading out from the other side.

There was three Rk-800s near the exit. One of the guards grabbed the shoulder of one of the Rk-800s as they made their way to the exit.

Carl enhanced the audio.

"Are you heading out?"

It nodded.

"There's been a break-in. The HK-200 and his human companion have escaped. We need to interface for verification."

'Sh-t.'

The RK-800 removed it's gloves, the flesh on it's hands ebbing away to reveal it's white interior and the guard proceeded to do the same before grabbing it's hand.

Minutes passed before the guard spoke.

"Ok, you're free to go."

"Great, they're performing security checks."

Simon looked at Carl in confusion.

"Security checks?"

"Yes, you're little escapade wasn't as clever as you love to believe."

Simon snorted glancing at Carl with a cold smirk on his face.

"Perhaps you would have enjoyed remaining in your cell being left to rot. Who knew that life was so meaningless to you. If you had a death wish, I would have just rescued your son and left you there to rot. I mean at least we would have got out hassle free and I wouldn't have wasted two parachutes to rescue you."

"Any idea how we're going to get out of this joint? If the dead bodies wasn't an obvious clue that something's going on, the disguises are not going to fool anyone much less androids."

"You're an android," Simon said smugly.

"Which would be just peachy keen if android communication is simple like you desperately want to prove," Carl said. "The moment I interface with their network, the androids will have direct access to my memories making this all for naught."

"So we don't interface."

"What's the plan if they discover us?" Carl asked.

"Then we shoot them. It's a small sacrifice but I'm sure they won't feel a thing," Simon said with a wink.

"That's not a plan. That's something you do when a plan fails."

"Now's not the time to argue. I propose a new idea. We'll have Simon draw the guards towards us and have Carl knock them out. Preventing the bloodbath while being a bunch of stealthy motherf-ckers. No security, no hassle," Markus suggested.

Simon smirked smugly glancing at Markus.

"I like the way you talk."

Carl groaned.

"You can scan these rooms right? Find us an empty room," Simon said.

Carl proceeded to scan for an empty room.

"Found one."

He pointed at the room behind them.

Simon confidently ran over to one of the guards.

"There's been trouble. I've managed to trap the HK-200 in one of the back rooms."

He ran towards the back.

"Is there an issue?"

"I can easily take care of it."

The RK-800 followed Simon until it was around the corner. Carl had opened the door a hair slowly creeping up behind it and nailing it with the butt of the gun.

It crumpled to the floor before Carl dragged it into the empty room.

"So what now?" Simon asked.

"Well we can't very well try that whole thing again. They'll definitely know something's up if you don't return with someone," Carl said smugly.

"Ok genius, what do you suggest we do then?"

"Elijah told me something about the androids he built. A trigger that could switch between protocol mode and operational mode. If I could find the trigger we might make this work."

Carl lifted the android's shirt and removed the panel on it's stomach revealing complex circuitry and a switch in the middle.

"I assume they are currently working on protocol mode?"

"Yes, they are being programmed with orders possibly received from Mariah. Operational mode should leave the RK-800 with basic functions like the ability to sit up and walk. I could hack the microphones in their helmets as well. They'll be listening to see if the same guards return."

"I didn't even think of that," Simon said.

Carl flipped the switch causing a reboot of it's systems.

It sat up.

"What would you like me to do, commander?"

"Stand up," Carl said.

He turned towards Markus.

"You're going to capture me and Simon. When they get close, you'll act like we just knocked you off our feet. Then we'll make our escape."

"Good plan," Markus said.

"If it works," Simon added.

Carl glared at him before putting his hands behind his back. He motioned for the reprogrammed android to clutch his shoulder.

Simon put his hands behind his back and smiled at Markus as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

"You could arrest me anytime, officer."

With that the two walked for the front entrance.

"I've found the prisoners. The HK-200 almost managed to lure us in a trap. It was hiding the human. " Simon's voice came from Markus' helmet.

The two remaining RK-800s walked up to them.

"Take them back to their holding cells."

Just then Carl broke away from Markus elbowing him softly in the stomach. Simon also elbowed the android to the side.

Markus fell down in a heap. Carl reached for the holster on his hip taking the gun and he lifted Markus by the shoulder holding a gun to his head.

"Make any sudden moves and he dies."

Markus felt his heart suddenly pounding fast. This wasn't part of the plan.

'What?! What is going on?'

"Move aside and let us through," Carl said coolly.

The RK-800s dropped their guns and Simon followed behind Carl as he held Markus in front of him.

Eventually the three made their way out.

Simon flagged down a taxi and pulled the driver out of the car.

"No hard feelings but we're kinda in a hurry."

He stepped in on the driver's side while Carl headed in the back seat dragging Markus behind.

Markus closed the door behind them. Before Simon drove off he took out a card from the pocket of his shirt and threw it at the driver.

The three drove away leaving the building in the dust.

Eventually they arrived outside a fenced area.

"What is this place?" Carl asked.

"This is the outcast section of Detroit. It's where they send the criminals and outcasts of society. I'm the leader of a anti-cyberlife group known as Jericho."

"Are you sure it's not anti-android?"

Simon turned to Carl.

"I have nothing against androids. It's Cyberlife who programmed them this way. We believed they staged the whole thing with the whole RA-9 fiasco that lead to the android's deviancy in the first place and were intending to control everything through martial law."

"You know how convoluted that sounds. Surely you don't think Cyberlife would program your everyday androids with the intention of silencing the human masses. Tons of people depend on androids for their every day life. Some care for children. You're seriously trying to tell us that they are plotting our demise because they're being programmed by Cyberlife?" Markus asked.

"I don't expect you to believe me."

"I don't."

Simon smiled sadly.

"Then I guess this is where we part ways then."

He walked off just before Markus spoke with Carl.

"Y'know we ought to think about calling Connor. We could use all the help we could get. He works for the police force so he has to help us."

"I'm not even sure he would once he realises the amount of trouble I got ourselves into," Carl said.

"Well at this point, we have no other options."

Markus scouted his clothes.

'Sh-t I forgot my phone."

"I could call him wirelessly."

"If I left my phone at the hospital, those androids might already know about Connor. They probably've already tapped his home."

"Sh-t, that means they could possibly pinpoint our location through the connection."

Markus sighed.

"Simon."

He turned and walked towards them.

"What is it?"

"Do you have a phone?"

"Yeah, why? Do you need to get ahold of someone?"

"Yes."

"Any reason why that android can't?"

"They got my cellphone. Carl says they'll be able to track him here."

"That is true. The people here don't take too kindly to androids and might even rat you out if there's too much trouble. Who were you going to call?"

"My brother," Markus said. "I wanted to warn him."

Simon pulled a phone from his pocket handing it to Markus.

"Here the phone is unlisted and untraceable, no one should be able to pick up your location from there."

Markus smiled.

"Thanks, Simon."

Simon looked away, feeling his face heat up.

"Yeah, yeah."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Luther flee with Alice to the outskirts of the city.

There was a rumored part of the city that was left uninhabited by people. Those who dwelt there were outcasts from various affiliations.

One rule in the city of Detroit, disobey any of the rules established by the city then you either 'died' or were sent to that place.

Kara had heard it had only been a haven for very bad people. For those who killed, murdered or robbed.

Since there was no way in telling who was android and who wasn't, Kara couldn't ask anybody in the main city for help.

Most androids were programmed to report disturbances especially if it disrupted the peace. Talking to a human while difficult on it's own wasn't the hard part. It was making sure that androids didn't overhear it.

Right now, she didn't trust any androids at the moment.

The three made it there just as it was starting to rain.

The uninhabited part of the city was blocked off by link fence that was covered in plastic material. One part of this fence had been tampered with.

"Kara, why are we heading here? You know this is no place for a child to be much less two defenseless adults."

Kara sighed.

"We have no other options. Do you really think it's worth gambling our lives to ask someone for help. You seen what those androids did. It's a matter of time before they tell everyone else."

Kara pulled it aside moving the plastic with it.

"Come on."

Alice crawled underneath the fence. Luther followed after her careful not to jostle his shoulder.

Kara pulled the gate enough to hoist herself under but winced as the metal fence grazed her shoulder.

"You alright?" Luther asked.

"I'm fine. I just grazed my shoulder that's all."

"You're bleeding," he said reaching for her shoulder.

Kara flinched.

"I'm fine, Luther."

Luther frowned. Kara saw hurt present in his eyes.

Still the man said nothing more as the three headed to an abandoned building.

"Kara, I really don't like this place," Alice murmured softly latching onto Kara.

"We have no other choice. They'll find us if we remain in the city."

Kara and Luther scouted the outside of a boarded building looking for a way inside. The door one of the only entrances left intact.

She tried the door but it was locked.

"Luther, help me find another way inside. I'll take Alice and look on the other side."

"Alright."

With that the two split ways.

As she was scouting the right side of the building, Kara heard a clunk.

"Kara, what was that?" Alice asked, her eyes wide with fright.

"Sounds like it was coming from the other side."

Kara broke in a run, eyes frantic.

"LUTHER!"

Once she made it to where Luther would be, she was horrified to find he had disappeared.

She glanced around noticing Alice hadn't made a sound.

"ALICE!"

Suddenly she felt pain hit her in back of her skull and everything faded to black.

Kara groaned as feeling the world spin as she slowly got up. A blond raggy-haired man with a bushy beard glanced at her.

"Finally awake? You slept like the dead."

Panic hit her. This guy could have been a criminal for all Kara knew and she was just lying in front of him unconscious for maybe hours.

She couldn't find any of her possessions. Luther nor Alice were nowhere to be seen.

Still it was better not to panic lest this man use any weakness against her. She faced him with a stony face.

"Where's Alice?"

"Is that what you said to someone who takes you into their home? I didn't have to bring you here."

"Where's Alice?" she asked again, iciness seeping in her voice.

The man sighed.

"She's in the other room along with that boyfriend of yours."

Kara got up and headed there.

Luther was strung on the floor as if he was tossed there as an afterthought. Alice however was sitting up by a fireplace looking at Luther, horrified.

It turned to relief the moment she caught sight of Kara.

Alice ran up to her.

"Kara, you're alright."

"How is he?"

"I don't know. I was brought here while he was still unconscious."

The two headed back where the blond man was still sitting.

"Do you have our belongings?"

He shrugged.

"Yeah, why would you need them?"

"They got our blankets and clothes."

"One of the bags had a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, scissors, a hairbrush, matches and toothpaste. You look like you came equipped to survive the wilderness."

Kara contemplated telling the man the truth.

'I still don't know if he intends to harm us though.'

"How long have you been staying here?" she asked cautiously.

"Been here for a while. Don't get much visitors. Do you three have names or what? I already know the little girl's name."

"I'm Konnie and the guy in the other room is Alex," Kara supplied.

Alice looked at Kara with a look of distaste.

The blond man looked at Kara for a second.

"You don't look like a Konnie to me. Konnie always struck me as a name only reserved for whores not for a respectable woman such as yourself."

He smiled.

Kara smiled in return though inwardly she was panicking. Her heart was pounding at a fast pace. Nothing about this interaction seemed right, she only hoped he wouldn't do anything too forward.

"What about you? What's your name?"

"It's Ralph."

"Why are you in a place like this?"

Ralph looked as though Kara was accusing him of something horrible. He looked affronted.

"I'm no rapist, robber or murderer. I was just looking for a place to stay. At least here the rent's free. No android surveillance. It's peaceful besides the occasional riot."

Alice glanced at his shirt.

On Ralph's shirt was a picture of a taxi cab.

"Nice shirt. Do you like cars?" she asked.

"Not particularly. Why? Do you like cars?"

Alice smiled.

"Yeah. My dad was a taxi driver. I want to be just like him when I'm older."

Kara glanced at Alice.

'That's right. She's probably missing her father right now.'

Still the thought of Alice returning to him caused her heart to ache.

'She's so sweet. If only I had a daughter like her.'

She immediately thought back to Luther.

'What was that look all about anyway?'

Kara glanced at her shoulder. The blood had dried from where it had ran down her arm.

"What happened to him?" Ralph cut through her thoughts.

"Someone captured him and they want to kill us."

Kara tensed.

Ralph smiled softly.

"Well you should be safe here. I'll protect you."

Alice smiled in return.

"Y'know you three ought to think about getting disguises in case you run into trouble."

He did have a point. Perhaps that's why Luther had packed the hydrogen peroxide in his bag and the pairs of scissors.

Ralph took out the bag handing her the hairbrush, the peroxide and the pairs of scissors.

"I brought some hair spray too."

He handed her the bottle of hairspray from her bag.

"There should be some bowls and bottles of water in the kitchen."

Alice joined her as she took a couple bowls and some bottles of water from the kitchen before they made their way to the bathroom. Kara locked the door behind them.

Inside the bathroom it was dark. The interior walls were covered in letters. Help was written all over the wall in dark red letters that almost seemed reminiscent of paint.

Kara uncapped the bottle of peroxide pouring it in the bowl before uncapping the hair spray dumping it in the other bowl.

She carefully poured the peroxide in the spray bottle before spraying it on her hair cautiously.

"I should do your hair too."

Alice's eyes widened in panic.

"No, I'm fine. I'm highly allergic to that stuff."

Kara frowned.

"I see but I can at least cut your hair."

She stammered.

"I-I could do it myself."

Kara smiled.

"Alright, alright, you win."

Alice sighed with relief but Kara noticed she was tense.

"Kara, sometimes I wish you could be my new mother but I don't want you to die too."

"Alice, I'm not gonna die."

"Mom died because she knew too much."

Kara turned to glance at Alice.

"What are you talking about?"

"That's why me and dad were running."

Alice explained the story to Kara.

"My mother worked as a secretary at Cyberlife because my father wasn't making enough money to support us."

Sarah Williams had worked for Cyberlife nearly five years. The building she worked at specialized in custom made androids. She was involved in their business meetings.

One particular evening, they were expecting a visit from President Warren to discuss the future of Cyberlife.

Mariah Stern, the CEO of Cyberlife was also present at the meeting.

"How's the work on the new military units?" Warren asked.

"Still a bit faulty. They are not really good at obeying our orders," Mariah said.

"Continue working on them."

"What would the people say knowing that you use the people's taxpayer dollars to make support the creation of the very things they despise?"

"It's worth the risk. We are a country at war."

"I don't have room to judge but why start a war with Russia over thirium?"

"You know that my approval rating hasn't been the best. What better thing to do then stir up a little drama. Let everyone blame the androids for their problems. They don't need to know what's going on. You know we need the thirium if we're going to continue running this operation."

"She was happy at first but one day she came back looking sad. I tried to cheer her up but nothing I did helped. Sometimes it looked like she was scared of me," Alice said.

Her mother had flinched whenever she was in the room. It didn't seem to help that the kids in her class often teased her. The class had been writing in their journals about the people they admired. Alice wrote about her father.

'...I want to grow up to be a taxi driver just like my father. I love the way he helps other people when they need to go somewhere..."

After class, people just laughed.

"What kind of job is that?"

"Who in their right mind would want a job like that?"

"They just take people's money because they can't afford to get an actual job."

One day she had slapped a girl in the face after she called her father stupid and her mother was called.

"Why don't you act like other girls?"

"She was only trying to defend herself," Todd said.

"Why do you always defend her?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows furrowed in anger. "I can't handle anymore of this."

"Calm down, Sarah."

Once Sarah had gone, Todd walked upstairs to her bedroom and knocked softly on Alice's door.

"Alice, can I come in?"

"Yes, daddy."

Todd opened the door.

"Have you and mom stopped fighting?"

He frowned kneeling in front of Alice.

"Alice, it's going to be alright. Mommy is just a little overwhelmed at work."

Todd sobbed pulling Alice closer.

"Daddy, are you alright?"

"I should have got two jobs. It was probably too much for her."

"It's not your fault, daddy," she said softly.

A memory flashed in Kara's head. Luther's sister worked in that same building. Kara had dropped by the office intending to pick her up after she had called her.

On the way back a woman with short curly blonde hair walked briskly towards her, her face frantic.

"Are you an android?" she asked.

"No, I-"

She grabbed her hand.

"I need you to hide this."

"What is it?" Kara asked.

"If anyone asks, you never saw me. If you see my daughter, Alice tell her I'm sorry."

The next Kara remembered seeing her, it was a corpse out on the sidewalk. Pieces of glass all around her.

Her ID was next to her.

'Sarah Williams.'

That piece of paper...

'Where did I hide it?' Kara thought.

Probably thirty minutes had passed.

"What time is it?" Kara asked.

"It's been thirty minutes. It should be ready to rinse out," Alice supplied.

Kara sighed.

"Alright."

She opened the bottles of water on the sink and began rinsing her hair out thoroughly and carefully making sure none of it got into her eyes.

After she was finished she looked in the mirror. Where she had originally had a darker blonde shade was now an almost whitish platinum blonde color.

She took the scissors and began to trim her hair when she heard someone knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Kara asked.

"Thank goodness you're here. Kara, it's me," Luther said softly from the other side of the door.

"Luther, we'll be out in a minute."

After finishing the last touches on her hair, Kara looked in the mirror. She was now sporting a boy cut.

'It's better than nothing,' she thought.

With that the two stepped out. Kara saw Luther had sported a black eye.

"What happened to you?"

"Got in a bit of a tassle. Thought the man in the room beat you two black and blue."

"Where's he now?"

"Should still be in the living room in one piece. Once he managed to get a word in though I had to see if he was telling the truth," Luther said.

He glanced at Kara, the corner of his lips twitching in a soft smile.

"I'm glad you two are alright though."

It was only then that he seemed to realise something. He glanced up at Kara's hair.

"You bleached your hair."

Kara chuckled.

"Do you like it?"

"It's fine but did you really have to cut it all off."

Kara raised her left brow.

"I guess you prefer that I wear it long?"

"Are you more comfortable with it short?"

Kara shrugged.

"Who knows? It might grow on me."

Luther chuckled embracing her.

"I'm just glad you are alright," he whispered softly into her hair.

Kara and Alice walked back into the room with the fireplace.

Luther returned with Kara's bag.

"I asked him for some blankets, pillows and some matches so we could start a fire."

He handed the bag over to Kara who smiled.

"Luther, you're a genius. Can you find some firewood so we can start the fire?"

Luther set out to do just that while Kara fished out several sleeping bags and some pillows before preparing Alice's bed on the wooden floor in fireplace.

Alice laid down on the bed while Kara covered her up.

Luther returned with wood setting it in the fireplace before taking out a box of matches and setting it ablaze. He set the wood on fire before blowing the match out.

The fire grew more intense by the second as Alice curled more into her covers.

"It's not much but at least you'll be warm."

"I wonder if I was ever good enough in my mother's eyes. Before she died I always seemed to be doing something wrong," Alice said.

"Alice, you did nothing wrong. Your mother wouldn't want you to think like that."

She glanced at Kara.

"How do you know?"

"I remember speaking with her. She told me to apologise for her in case she never saw you again."

"You mean you've seen her?"

"The details are a little sketchy but when you told me about your mother, I had a flashback. I remember meeting her at work. Believe me Alice, she never thought you weren't good enough."

"Then why did she leave me?"

"I think she was protecting you in her own way but that doesn't mean she never loved you."

"If she just told me, I would have understood. I just didn't want her to leave me alone."

"I know."

She glanced at Kara.

"You'll never leave me right?"

Nothing about this would lead to a happy ending. A secret government conspiracy was one thing but being cast out from the main city to a forbidden part of it where all kinds of outcasts lurked from the bad to the ugly would leave one if not all of them dead sooner or later.

If they headed back to the city, they'd always be on the run from those androids trying to kill them. Even if they were happy for a little while, Cyberlife would never let them go free.

They could never be free as long as they had control over everything. Even androids taking over the world was an optimistic way of life than this.

Cyberlife wouldn't relinquish it's control. Why relinquish so much power when it had the corporal and military world under it's thumb.

Kara sighed.

'Sounds bleak.'

"Kara, did you hear me?"

"What did you say? I forgot."

"You won't leave me right?"

There was hope in her eyes even despite everything.

'What's telling the truth going to accomplish? Do I honestly think it's better that she knows this world is a doomed one? I certainly don't want her to live in a world like that.'

She glanced at Luther who was smiling.

'Should I lie just to make her happy though.'

Kara remembered she also was a little girl once. Her teachers were kind to her, sometimes complete strangers. When her mother died it felt like she was stabbed in the chest with a knife.

The police never found who had killed her mother. She remembered hating it when they tried to sweep her death under the rug. No one seemed to understand. As she grew older it was easier to accept that injustice was just the way things worked. Nothing in life was fair, wanting any kind of fairness was selfish and based off the desire to project her own ideals on other people's perceptions of life.

'No, I can't accept that kind of world for Alice. I have to be strong and fight for her.'

"I can't promise you that," Kara said. "But I can promise that I will try my best to never leave you."

"If we ever part will you promise to come find me?"

"Definitely."

"Even it takes you forever."

"Especially."

Alice reached out and hugged her.

Kara tucked her into bed kissing her on the forehead.

"You got to sleep. Sleep tight alright."

Once Alice had fallen asleep she turned to Luther who was warming up in front of the fire.

"So you remembered something?" Luther asked.

"Yeah, I met up with her mother at your sister's work place. She gave me a note," Kara said.

"I know. You told me about it before your accident."

"Do you know where it is?"

"I'm holding on to it. I had a feeling they might have been looking for it. You told me to keep it a secret from anyone. Not even my family knew about that note. Whatever it says Cyberlife wants to get ahold of it."

"Can I see it?"

Luther retrieved a letter from his coat pocket before handing it to Kara.

She skimmed through the note.

'To be delivered to Caroline Phillips.'

"Looks like she intended to give it to the press and spill the whole thing."

"Guess Cyberlife stopped her before she had the chance."

"We gotta deliver this to them."

"Kara, that's suicide. You know as well as I do."

"She would have wanted this for her daughter."

Luther's frown softened into a sad smile as he looked away.

"I know."

"Well I'm heading to bed. Good night, Luther."

"You too, Kara.

Kara cuddled in next to Alice.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor wakes up but it's not long before he gets a call from Markus.

The next morning, Connor got up early at six hearing the sound of running water in the distance. It sounded like it was coming from the bathroom.

He glanced around bewildered.

'That's right I slept at Hank's place last night.'

He picked up his phone on the bedside table and pocketed it before stepping into the living room. He saw Hank sitting on the couch.

"Wow, you're up early."

"Look who's talking. I guess it's true when they say the early bird gets the worm. I guess Fowler was right when he called you the early bird," Hank said. "I'm guessing you'd like some breakfast."

"I'd like to fix my own breakfast if that's alright with you."

Hank frowned.

"I'm perfectly capable of fixing you a decent meal."

"I'm certain you are. Even if you weren't I'd still prefer fixing my meals, I just like it that way. If you feel your skills are inadequate though you can feel free to watch maybe I can teach you some pointers."

Connor smirked at him smugly.

"Smarta-s," Hank muttered under his breath.

Still curiosity won over his pride and he joined Connor in the kitchen.

"Do you have a carton of eggs?"

Hank opened the fridge and pointed inside.

"They're in the back on the first shelf."

Connor reached out and grabbed them before cracking them in the frying pan.

"I'm surprised. Despite being a health nut, I guess you don't mind wracking up the cholesterol."

Connor snorted.

"I eat eggs every once and a while. It's a good source of protein."

"Good for a minute there I thought you were one of those health nuts that go crazy over those gluten free or vegan diets."

"Oh that's a shame. I guess we can't be friends because I'm on a gluten free diet."

"You're kidding."

Connor's lips curled.

"I'm just a normal guy, Hank. I like my red meat and wheat products like most people."

Hank punched him in the shoulder.

"Don't joke about things like that."

Connor winced rubbing his shoulder.

"Ge-z, you punch like a freight truck."

"Did you even graduate from the police academy?"

"Look I'm sensitive alright. You could be a little gentle."

Connor glanced at Hank whose cheeks had turned a dark shade of red.

He looked away from Connor's gaze and shrugged.

"Guess I don't know my own strength."

Connor turned on the burner and watched as his eggs cooked.

Just then he felt his phone vibrate in pocket. He took out the cellphone to look at the caller ID. It was Markus.

"Anderson can you watch the eggs? I need to take this call."

Hank snorted.

"Certainly."

He pressed call.

"Connor? Are you there? It's me."

"Markus? Are you out of the hospital?"

"Yes, but that's not what I'm calling you about."

His voice sounded shaky almost frantic.

'Why does he sound so panicky?'

"What is it?"

"Are you at home right now?"

"That's not important."

Markus was quiet for a moment. It wasn't like Connor to keep something like that secret.

'He must be somewhere else.'

Still that could be a concern for later. For now it was best he didn't know.

"So want to tell me about this new boyfriend of yours?"

It was intended just to be a stock conversation with no intention of singling anyone out. He knew his brother showed no preferences towards any gender and likely wasn't into the idea of having a lover so it was more likely the trackers wouldn't know who he was talking about.

Connor choked.

Hank turned and glanced at Connor curiously.

Strange, it almost seemed like the question had flustered him. Could his brother be interested in someone? The intention with the question was to gauge whether Connor felt safe enough to talk about something like that but this was a whole new can of worms.

"Who? What are you talking about?" Connor asked.

Markus sighed.

'Connor, why of all times do you choose this time to be over dramatic?'

"You know who I'm talking about. I could go into detail about everything right now."

"I don't want to talk about this right now."

"We're gonna talk about this," Markus said firmly. "If you need somewhere more private..."

Connor sighed.

"Alright, alright."

Hank glanced at him with a raised brow.

Connor stepped into the guest room and shut the door behind him.

"How did you know about that?"

"About what?" Markus asked.

"You weren't even awake."

"It was just a fluke alright. See I was having problems myself. You know about that time I was arrested when we were younger and Carl bailed me out?"

Connor sighed.

"Yeah, I remember."

"Remember what you did afterwards?"

"Why did you bring that up?"

"Just thought it might be important. It's been a while since I've reminisced with my little brother with the war and everything. Colonel Stern was quite a good mentor to you wasn't she? Heard she had a daughter."

"Never knew that. Can you hold for a moment?"

Connor brought the phone from his ears and set it on the bedside table before walking out, shutting the door behind him and heading towards the kitchen.

Cole was sitting on the question and Hank was standing in the kitchen next to the counter with his plate of eggs.

He turned and jolted with surprise.

"C-Connor," he stammered.

"Anderson, I need you."

"When you were on the phone, what was THAT conversation all about?"

Connor sighed.

"That's not important. I think someone bugged my cellphone."

"What?! Where do you go off thinking something like that?" Hank asked.

"I was talking with my brother but he was acting strange. He was asking me weird questions and was saying weird things, telling me about the war."

"What did he say?"

"He was talking about Colonel Stern."

Cole glanced at them in curiosity.

"Wait, my boss' last name is also Stern."

"Did she work in the military perchance?"

"No, I don't think so."

"So Amanda had a daughter who works for Cyberlife? Why did Markus want to tell me something like that?"

"Didn't Stern mentor Kamski during his creation of the androids?" Hank asked.

"Yeah, Kamski told me their partnership didn't work out. He said she didn't take it well when he told her he was getting a new partner. I was just a rookie at the time and we were investigating what appeared to be a homicide. Kamski was the main culprit at the time until we had determined that Stern had been accidentally killed by electrocution."

"So the rumors were true then," Cole said.

"If Kamski wasn't lying through his teeth," Connor said.

'Still something doesn't seem right. Kamski said he got a new partner? Who could have possibly been his partner? Wait, he knew Carl. Sh-t. She's after Carl. Still if that's the case...'

"What's on your mind?" Hank asked.

'What was Markus trying to tell me? Remember the time in which Carl bailed him out?'

Connor remembered it vividly. Markus had been accused of beating up someone at school by one of the teachers at their high school. When they were going to school, Markus was always around these group of boys that had a bad reputation. Many of his classmates thought they might have been affiliated with gangs.

Only Connor really knew the truth. Markus often told him about some of the boys threatening to beat him up after school unless he complied with their demands.

"If I told Carl, he would probably go to the principal and demand that they expelled from school. I can't do that."

Markus would always buy them whatever they requested be it Red Ice or just stuff that people could buy at a store in the city.

No one really had evidence that it was bullying, Markus wasn't exactly a problematic student even if he didn't have the evidence to show for it. So the teachers couldn't say it was effecting his school performance. He had good grades much like Connor did.

Someone had reported Markus throwing punches with some other kids in the back of school. Two kids had come out with injuries that made it mandatory to send them to the hospital.

When Carl had been called and Connor had been informed, he had immediately thought it strange. Markus had been peaceful, more of a mediator. It's why Connor and him had always got along despite never seeing each other eye to eye. He never fought and Connor was sure even when they were kids it was tempting. He had always made his brother mad getting into fights with other boys and trying to start them with him.

Still Markus never fought them.

"They're threatening to expel him from school," Carl said.

Connor snorted.

What he had done was reckless. After school long after Carl had picked up Markus from school, Connor walked up to one of the boys he had seen around.

It was a tall boy with a puffed out gait.

"You're Connor. You're Markus' younger brother right?"

"I am."

"What do you want?"

"I want information."

"Why should I tell you anything? Much easier to beat you black and blue."

Connor met his eyes, calm and impassive.

"You wouldn't do that on school campus. You don't have the nerve," he said.

"Wanna bet? Wipe that confident look off your face."

"What was Markus doing for you?"

"We weren't having him do anything?"

"Is that what you want everyone to believe?"

The boy lunged grabbing him by the collar.

"Why you!"

Connor glanced at him, unphased.

"We should have beat you up while we had the chance."

Connor snorted.

"You wouldn't have succeeded."

"I would have had you at our mercy."

Connor brought his knee to his chest jostling the boy's grip on his shirt.

The boy glared angrily at Connor, his fist drawn back to punch him.

Before the boy could punch him in the face, Connor caught his fist.

"Is that why you made Markus your errand boy?"

The boy snorted.

"You wouldn't believe the lengths he went to ensure your safety."

"Gentlemen."

Connor turned and saw a teacher standing behind him.

"You two better cease your fighting at once."

The boy blushed. Connor released his hand.

"We-"

Connor cut in.

"I was teaching him the basic mechanics of hand to hand combat. He wanted to see if he had what it takes to join the wrestling team," he said smoothly.

"This is not the time or the place."

"Alright," Connor said. "Sorry."

As they were heading out, the boy spoke.

"Why didn't you tell on me? I was trying to pick a fight with you."

"You were angry. I don't know what you and your friends had against me and I'm not going to pretend to understand. I just know Markus wouldn't want me getting in trouble for his sake and that's all there is to it."

The boy sighed.

"Then I'll tell you the truth. We had originally wanted Markus to join us. We were friends, he was hoping through this we might change our ways. He was concerned that we might flunk high school but Bill threatened to kill him and his family unless he joined our gang. Eventually Markus decided to quit and Bill told him we were planning on beating you up behind the school."

"So why didn't you?"

"We were planning to if Markus didn't show up. Before he appeared Bill had beat up two people from our group. Apparently one of them was supposed to ambush Markus before he appeared and the other one was supposed to have captured you. He was very p-ssed with them."

Connor stroked his chin.

"The moment he appeared though we were told to ambush him and Bill was going to beat him black and blue. Everyone whaled on him but Markus did nothing. When the teachers appeared, all they saw was the crowd of people and Bill on the ground. One of our guys told the teacher that Markus punched him. In reality, I did. I was sick of Bill and I hate Markus. He betrayed us when we needed him the most."

"Maybe it was too much to simply offer you a better way of life. You're right he should have left you to suffer. I'm sure your life would have worked out better in prison."

The boy glanced at him with shock.

Connor merely looked at him as if the whole concept unphased him as if it was just a minor inconvenience, like it had never been a significant part of his life, like this kind of life raised on the streets was normal, that such things like witnessing death was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

"You make yourself really hard to like. I really want to punch you right now."

"I'm not saying it isn't difficult but if you never give someone the chance to help you how do you expect to live in happiness?"

"Maybe you're right. All this time, I always thought Markus had abandoned us. In reality, it's never really been about our happiness though has it. Listen Connor, Markus is planning to meet with Bill later in the evening at Maheras-Gentry park at 5 o'clock maybe you can catch him before he does something dangerous."

"Alright."

That evening Connor had gathered the things he needed just in case there had been a confrontation.

He gone out at around 4:15 in the evening to meet up with Bill.

Bill seen him right away.

"I see, you're Markus' little brother. What's a fragile thing like you doing out so late? Wanted to see what your big brother was up to?"

"Not particularly."

Connor put his hands in his pant pockets.

"Someone told me Markus was supposed to meet you here to do some errands. Why can't you just leave my brother alone?"

Bill laughed.

"I don't see what's so funny," Connor said.

"You really think I'm going to listen to you, a mere pansy? I bet I could wipe the floor with you."

"So why don't you. Do you think my brother should fight my own battles?"

"Your brother didn't want you to get involved. Maybe there was a good reason."

"I know he didn't send those boys to the hospital."

"Yeah, so I did it. Who are you going to tell? No one's going to listen to you."

Bill lunged for him with a fist. Connor swiftly dodged it to the side.

"Everything he did for you is going to be for nothing."

Bill stumbled a bit.

"You think Markus was trying to protect me?"

Connor's voice wasn't timid or naive. In fact, it almost sounded as though Connor pitied him.

Bill turned towards him to be certain. There was no fear in Connor's eyes. In fact it was as if his big boasts about beating him up were just minor inconveniences in his eyes.

"The reason why Markus didn't want me involved is because he doesn't want me fighting at all. If he was trying to protect anyone, he was trying to protect you."

Bill glanced at him in bewilderment.

"What do you mean protect me?"

Connor took his hands out of his pockets and punched him in the face.

"Why you!"

Bill clutched his nose as he tried to kick Connor in his stomach.

Connor caught his leg.

"You're not very skilled at fighting are you?"

The boy snarled.

Connor pulled until Bill fell face forward.

"Don't talk to my brother again."

With that Connor had walked back. He ran into Markus on the way.

"Connor? What are you doing out here so late?"

"Taking out the trash."

"You didn't."

"You were worrying dad. Quit trying to be a hero."

Markus sighed.

"Alright."

What had Connor done after that? What was so important?

The two boys that were in the hospital were in grave condition. One of them died and their parents had threatened to sue Carl for the hospital fees.

Markus was sent to jail for killing one of them until Connor had given the police the cellphone. All the information that prevented Markus from going to jail was on it.

'Maybe that's what he was trying to say. All the information about Markus' call was a plea for help. They were being pursued by Mariah to capture them. If that is the case, she must have sent androids to break in my home which is why it didn't trigger my security system and there were no traces of anyone breaking in my home. If I was someone trying to stay away from Cyberlife where would I be?'

"Anderson, I think my brother might be in trouble."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah."

He ran to the bedroom and took the phone.

"Markus are you still there?"

"Yeah."

"I'm going to have to catch you later."

"Alright."

Once Connor headed in the living room, he handed Hank the cellphone.

"I know exactly what to do with that," he said before handing Connor his eggs.

Connor took the fork off the side of the plate.

"Do you got pepper?"

Hank handed him the black pepper.

"These look good. Not bad for an awful cook."

Connor shook it on his eggs.

"You're just covering the flavor with pepper," Hank retorted.

He took a bite, stuffing his mouth quickly before handing the plate to Hank.

"Can we take your car?"

"Sure."

"I ought to be heading out too," Cole said.

"See ya."

"Later Cole," Hank said.

The two headed out in the car. Eventually making it to the outskirts of Detroit, the rumoured haven for outlaws.

Connor stepped out of the passenger's seat and looked around. Markus was nowhere to be seen.

"Sh-t, we were too late."

"Don't give up yet."

Hank walked towards a brown skinned man with dark brown hair that was walking in their direction. The man was wearing a black coat and a purple t-shirt alongside a pair of grey jeans. His eyes was black and blue and blue blood came down from his nostril.

"Hello, have you seen someone by here?"

"I might've. Were they a friend of yours?"

"No."

"I'm looking for my brother," Connor cut in. "Did you see a man with reddish skin, blue eyes and a buzz cut around here? He was with an old man."

"Oh you're talking about Markus. I just ran into him about thirty minutes ago. He was just rescuing me from the scrap hunters."

"Scrap hunters?"

"Yeah, people that disassemble androids to take their parts. They wanted my thirium tank to make red ice. After he rescued me we got separated after he was trying to take me to Jericho."

"Why are you out here then?"

"I was trying to look for help but Markus told me he was trying to stay out of the eye of law enforcement. He told me though his brother might come by to look for him so I was just waiting around here in case you showed up."

"What's your name?" Hank asked.

"It's Josh."

"Well Josh, our best hope is to find this Jericho and maybe we'll be able to track where he went," Hank said.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus and Carl rescue Josh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the warning for Cannibalism comes to play. It's implied but it's still there.

After Markus finished talking with Connor he handed the phone back to Simon.

"Thanks Simon."

"If it's any consolation I hope things work out for you," he said with a smile.

With that Simon headed out leaving the duo to their own devices.

Carl looked around scanning the area.

"We shouldn't stand around. This place is dangerous."

"Connor should have got my message so he should be here soon."

"We could at least find somewhere to hide while we wait for him."

Markus nodded wincing as his head suddenly started to spin.

"Good idea."

"Markus are you alright?"

"No, I feel really dizzy."

Carl sighed wrapping an arm around Markus to support him.

The two walked inside the fenced area through an unguarded entrance scouting the abandoned buildings for some place uninhabited.

Behind a building in the shadows by a trashcan, three men were surrounding a man with his back against the wall.

"What do you say we take your thirium pump and you don't fight back? How does that sound?"

"If you take it I'll die."

"You think we care whether you live or die?"

"The law says we're alive."

The man pushed forward but one of the men pushed him back against the wall.

"We don't obey the law."

"What's going on?" Markus whispered overhearing their voices.

"Just some guys making small talk with an android."

"It sounds like they're fighting."

"Markus, you're in no condition to get involved."

"We can't just stand back and let it happen. You're always telling me to fight for what I believe in. I won't just sit back and let them take someone's life away."

Carl sighed.

"Alright, but you wait here. Don't get any dangerous ideas."

Markus sat down clutching his eye just before Carl walked up to the group.

"Hey!"

All three men turned towards him.

"Whaddaya want, old man?"

"Leave him alone. He told you he wasn't going to give you it."

"Do you think we take orders from you?"

One of the men shoved him. The force caused Carl to stumble back a couple of inches.

He sighed.

"No, fools never do."

Anger was present in their eyes.

One of them ran towards him about to ram a fist in his stomach.

Carl grabbed his fist squeezing it causing the man to wince and tossed him aside.

"Why you!"

Another one ran towards him but was thrown over Carl's shoulder.

The last remaining man kicked him from behind.

Carl turned before his foot could meet the small of his back and grabbed his foot pulling him forward causing them to stumble.

The one that was thrown over his shoulder used that time to get back to his feet and aim his gun at Carl.

"Sh-t," Carl hissed. He was in a corner now. If he moved aside the man against the wall would be killed but if he stayed he'd die.

Hearing Carl's pleas, Markus got up and instantly regretted it. He opened left eye causing the pain in his head to intensify. Everything was blurry and spinning. Markus could barely make out the scene in front of him. All he saw was a man's back facing him and a blurry grey and peach silhouette which he deduced must have been Carl standing there.

Quickly Markus rammed into the man's back and something dropped to the ground in a loud clatter.

"Markus!" Carl stammered in surprise.

Markus heard Carl running towards him.

"Markus, are you alright?"

"I'm fine but are you hurt?"

"No. Sheesh, do you always have to be so reckless? You could have seriously got hurt."

"I did. My side stings like a b-tch."

Carl helped him up noticing his wound was bleeding on his side.

"Sh-t."

The man ran up to them glancing at Carl with a smile on his face.

"Thanks a lot for saving me."

Carl glanced at the man with faint surprise before turning to Markus.

"Don't thank me. My son insisted that we rescue you."

He turned to Markus.

"Well then thanks."

"What's your name anyway?" Markus asked.

"Me? I don't really have a name."

"What model are you?"

"A PJ500."

"Isn't that the instructor model?" he asked.

"Yeah, before I deviated I was programmed to teach about math and science."

"You know what I think I have just the name for you. I can name you right?" Markus asked.

Carl removed his shirt exposing his bloody wound.

The man grinned.

"Sure."

Carl turned toward the man.

"I need your shirt. We got to replace his bandages before he bleeds out."

The man removed his coat and one of his shirts. Underneath his purple shirt was a white shirt which he removed and gave to Carl.

Carl tore the shirt in pieces setting them on his lap before removing the blood soaked makeshift bandage he had placed on Markus' wound.

Markus winced.

"How about Josh? It was my old science instructor's name in high school."

"I like it. It's so simple," Josh said as he put his shirt and coat back on.

"I know. He was a simple kind of guy. I learned alot from him when I was going to school."

Carl wrapped the bandage tightly over the wound causing Markus to grunt as he nearly keeled over from the pain.

"So what were you doing out here anyway? This part of the city is dangerous," Markus said.

"I was looking for Jericho."

"Why? It's underlying function is to eradicate your very creator. Everyone knows them as an anti-android rebellion movement."

"Their agendas are in conjunction with my own. I want Cyberlife to pay for what they've done. Can't you see the world around us is a joke. Everyone who openly opposes us is sent in this disfunctional part of town to survive on their own. There's no way to get food, supplies or shelter. The shelter here is less than functional for those who remain here," Josh explained. "It would be fine if every person an android sent here was guilty of their crimes but there is no certainty of that especially when the company is run by people with questionable motives who don't exactly express the best judgement when it comes to their products."

"I see. You might be onto something there," Carl said.

"Carl? You can't be serious," Markus said. "You can't blame a company for the faults of one person."

"Mariah is Amanda's daughter and the CEO of Cyberlife. She is the very backbone of that company whether we like it or not. Every machine she creates is under her direction under her regulation. It's not just going to stop with the RK-800s. If she is as determined as Leo says she is she won't stop until she's avenged her mother even at the cost of other human lives."

"Is that why you two are here?"

"Partially," Markus replied. "We were captured and the leader of Jericho rescued us."

"You actually saw the leader of Jericho?"

"Yeah."

"He's pretty cool isn't he?" Josh inquired in marvel.

Markus avoided looking at his eyes. Carl buttoned up his shirt.

"Not really. Sure I guess you can say he's kinda cool in the action hero kind of way but he doesn't seem very interested in what he does. It's almost as if he does it as a cry for attention."

"Huh, here I thought you two were getting along on the right foot," Carl said.

"Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for his help. He just has a way of making you feel like you're the inconvenience. I'd like to think that if I was rescued someone would put me ahead of theirselves. You'd probably be a more valued if you joined their little group."

"Maybe," Josh said with a smile. "So where are you headed from here?"

Markus shrugged.

"Don't know. We were waiting for my brother but he hasn't shown up yet so we're trying to find a place to hide while we are on the lookout for him."

"I think I know of the perfect place."

Carl helped Markus to his feet supporting his shoulders.

Josh lead them to a side road away from the buildings coming across a rundown bridge.

Markus turned to Carl.

"Do you think it's safe to cross? It does look old."

Carl scanned it.

"The infrastructure should be safe to cross as long as we're not hauling a car over it."

"Then let's go," Markus said.

As they were walking across the bridge, Markus heard a rustling sound.

He looked around. Everything was quiet. Below the bridge was a large river.

As they continued to walk, there was a much louder noises as something clattered against the road behind them.

He turned to see someone in the distance with a rifle pointed at them.

A gunshot rang out.

Carl hissed flinching.

Markus saw blue blood ooze from the wound on his shoulder.

He looked at Josh ahead of him.

"Someone's shooting at us. Josh run."

He ran.

Markus tried to pick up the slack as Carl tried to quickly get them out of the way of gunfire. He stumbled falling forward just as another gunshot slipped past his ears.

Carl fell alongside him.

Markus tried to get up, tried to shake Carl awake. He was unconscious.

"CARL!"

He saw blue blood spilling from a gunshot in Carl's back.

"CARL, wake up. CARL!"

Suddenly something hard hit him in the back of the head and everything faded to black.

The next time, Markus woke up it was at the sight of a dark room.

Everything was fuzzy but the faint light at the corner of his vision. A woman flooded his vision. She had short red hair and brown eyes. Over her outfit was a bloody apron.

"Who?" Markus sputtered.

Suddenly a big burst of pain shot through his left leg.

Markus screamed from the top of his lungs.

He felt dizzy, everything was turning fuzzy.

'Where am I? Who is she?'

All he wanted to do was sleep.

Everything faded to black.

"'kus...Markus."

Markus felt strong hands shake him awake.

Familiar blue eyes glanced back at him. An old man was staring at him.

"Good, good, you are alright. I was worried you wouldn't make it."

"Carl? But I thought you were dead."

"I was but that's not important right now. They managed to disinfect it and bandage it and I had to stop it from bleeding out."

"What are you talking about?"

Just then the door opened and a young man with honey blondish hair walked up to them with a plate in his hand and a glass of water.

"I brought some food."

Carl snapped.

"He doesn't want it."

The man took a lantern off the hook by the door and set it in front of them.

"I didn't ask you. The man can speak for himself."

"I-I-"

"You need to eat in order to keep up your strength."

The man dug into the meat on the plate holding it to Markus' mouth.

Markus sniffed it.

It turned his stomach.

"I don't want it."

"Did you hear him? He said he doesn't want it," Carl sputtered.

The man shoved it in his mouth stroking his throat until he swallowed it.

He continued doing this even making sure Markus swallowed his fair share of water.

The man left leaving the lantern on the floor.

Once he was gone, Markus coughed to the side spitting on the side.

"Are you alright?"

"What are we doing here? Why was that guy trying to feed me?"

"Believe me I don't like this place either but it's not like I could just break us out of here."

"What do you mean?"

He glanced towards Carl.

Both of his legs were gone.

"Your legs are gone."

"They removed them before they replaced my thirium tank and biocomponents. Even if we could get out of here, you're in no condition to move."

"What do you mean?"

"I've scanned the walls of this room. There is ample traces of dried blood on the floor and walls. If no one's been killed here before there was certainly alot of blood related injuries that went on in this room."

Markus felt his heart racing.

"Sh-t."

"They really seem determined to keep you alive even after what they did."

"After what they did? What did they do?"

Markus looked down and even he wasn't prepared for the answer.

His left leg was gone.

"They said that they need it for something but I think you know what they did with it."

Markus turned pale. He turned to Carl.

"Carl, you can't let them do this."

"I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do."

"If worse comes to worst don't let them kill me. I'd rather you kill me than be eaten alive."

"Y'know I won't do that," Carl said.

"Please. Promise me you'll do it."

"Even if I did, I can't exactly kill you with just my hands short of strangling you."

"I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't think it would serve you well in the long run."

Carl sighed.

"Alright, but only if it gets that far."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Luther can't help but think that Kara has Stockholm Syndrome.

Early the next morning Kara got up smiling softly as she looked down at Alice who was sleeping soundly next to her.

Luther was sitting by the fireplace wide awake much to her surprise.

"You're still up?"

"Someone had to watch over you and I don't trust that Ralph guy."

"He seems nice enough," Kara said.

"He captured us, Kara."

Kara sighed.

"He was nice to Alice."

Luther sighed.

"We were unconscious for goodness knows how long. He could have done anything in that time and he still might."

"I know."

"Please, at least consider what I said."

Kara glanced into his brown eyes.

"I do. I really appreciate you looking out for us...especially me. You could have given up on me and Alice, you could have given up on me the moment I lost my memory but you never did. I'm always going to remember that, Luther."

Luther smiled. It seemed softer somehow.

"Still we ought to do something about your hair."

"Oh? You weren't trying to dye your hair to make a fashion statement?"

Kara chuckled playfully shoving him.

Luther winced.

"Of course not. Since our pictures are all over the news I figured we should at least try not to look exactly alike but first I think we might have to change that bandage over your shoulder."

Luther sighed.

"I guess so."

Kara reached for the collar of his buttoned up shirt carefully unbuttoning it. Luther hissed as Kara pushed it aside to expose his left shoulder.

She removed the bandage. The wound was red and oozy.

Kara reached into one of the bags to get out a spare shirt. She poured water from the bottle Ralph had left for her onto the shirt before she began to clean his wound causing him to wince.

"Kara, you don't need to do that. It'll be fine."

"We can't afford to let that wound get infected."

After she was finished cleaning the wound, Kara took a fresh shirt out of her bag and began cutting it into strips before assembling another makeshift bandage.

She tied it firmly around his wound.

"Good?"

"Yeah."

Kara reached over to shake Alice awake.

"Alice?"

Alice's eyelids twitched and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Kara?"

"I'm going to be in the bathroom. Can you come along?"

"Okay."

Taking her supplies, Kara lead Luther to the bathroom with Alice towing behind.

Once they got into the bathroom, Kara began to work on Luther's hair. After they were finished Luther spoke.

"So Alice, what do you think?"

Alice looked up at Luther who was now sporting blond hair.

"Cool."

As the three headed back, Kara caught sight of a door that was wide open.

"Luther, I'll meet up with you later. There's something I want to check out right quick."

"Be careful, alright."

Kara walked over to the open door and glanced inside.

The room was empty for the most part.

'Strange.'

Curious, she walked inside.

Glancing around the objects in the room it appeared had been gathering dust. The floors however looked like they had constantly been walked on.

Something plastic was peeking underneath the bed.

She knelt down and pull it out.

It was a bag of some sorts carrying what looked like tiny red shiny pebbles.

She glanced under the bed to find there was alot of bags with the same content.

Struck with an uncomfortable feeling she got up and decided to head back to the room with Luther.

Luther was playing pattycake with the girl.

"Oh Kara, there you are."

Luther glanced at her.

"Is something wrong?"

"Um, have you ever seen anyone collect bags of tiny red pebbles?"

"Yeah, why?"

Kara fidgeted before leaning over to Luther's ear.

"I think Ralph has a collection of them under his bed."

Luther hissed under his breath.

"That's all we need."

"What's the matter?" Alice asked.

"It's nothing."

"Is something wrong?"

Luther glanced at her with narrowed eyes.

"The contents in those bags underneath his bed aren't pebbles. He's a red ice dealer and might even be on the stuff himself," he murmured.

"So it's a drug then?"

"A dangerous one. I did a lot of red ice busts back in the day. If the stuff doesn't bring you a high, it makes you irritable for hours. It's even more dangerous when someone is high on the stuff because they're prone to unpredictable behavior."

As the two headed in the living room, Ralph it appeared was talking with a couple.

"...them in."

He turned hearing Kara, Luther and Alice walk in.

"I need you to stay in your room for a little bit while I talk with these young people, alright?"

Kara, Luther and Alice headed back in their room.

Luther felt a shiver rake down his spine.

Kara heard Ralph behind them giving her an uneasy feeling.

Once they got back in the room, Ralph shut the door behind them. Kara and Luther heard what sounded like a latch on the door.

"Sh-t," Luther hissed.

"Calm down, Luther."

"How can you be so calm? He's locked us in here."

Kara may have looked calm but inwardly she was just as panicky as Luther.

'Still I gotta be calm for Alice.'

She inched close to the door. She heard loud clattering and banging as if someone was dragging something heavy across the floor. There was also shuffling that grew louder as if someone was dragging something next to their door.

'What's that?'

"What's so important that he has to hide it from us?" Luther whispered.

"I don't know."

Kara decided to make use of the time to talk with Alice who was just sitting there.

She was surprisingly inactive for a girl her age.

After some time had passed, Kara finally spoke.

"Aren't you bored just sitting there?"

"Nah, I'm never bored. I'm always learning something new even just sitting here like this."

Kara smiled.

"Oh yeah? What have you learned?"

"Well I was thinking about when you were dying Luther's hair today and when you were cutting your hair yesterday and I was thinking there is still so much I have to learn about this world."

"So what do you think so far?"

"I don't know. Some things really seem fun. I never thought dying your hair would make you look so beautiful."

"Thank you, Alice. I never thought that being honest would make you all the more adorable."

She chuckled as she embraced Alice.

"Shh," Luther brought a finger up to his lips.

Kara turned towards him. Luther pointed towards the door and she was quiet.

In the distance she heard the door unlatching. Ralph opened the door.

"Can we go out now?" Kara asked.

"Yeah, Ralph just had to take care of some urgent business. We should all be set for dinner tonight."

"Who was that couple you were talking to?"

"Just Ralph's androids. It's been hard on Ralph since he moved here. Ralph needed all the help he could get."

"Ralph do you have a piece of paper and a pencil? I want to draw something," Alice said.

"Y-yeah, Ralph has something like that somewhere."

Ralph headed out and returned with some paper and a pencil.

Alice smiled.

"Thanks Ralph."

She set the paper on the floor and began to draw.

Ralph sat down watching her smiling as she was drawing.

Luther glanced at them uneasy.

Sometime during this, Ralph excused himself.

"Ralph is going to make dinner and then he'll be back and we'll eat in the kitchen together."

Once he had gone downstairs, Kara got up.

"Where are you going?" Luther asked.

"I'm curious about something. Watch Alice. I'll be back."

Kara stepped outside the room and walked to the room she had glanced through before. It was closed this time.

She tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

'Guess he locked it.'

Apparently it was loud enough because she heard rustling coming from inside and the sound of something dragging across the floor.

"Hello?" she whispered.

"Looks like someone else is there," a deep raspy voice came from the other side of the door.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Carl. I'm here with my son, Markus."

"What are you two doing locked in there?"

"We're being held here against our will. That guy you're living with he's been feeding off my son."

"What?"

"We've been here about a week. Those androids moved us here after someone heard us."

"Sh-t," she murmured under her breath. "Listen I'll do what I can to help, alright."

"Alright."

With that Kara headed to the bathroom to clear her head overcome with nausea at the thought that the person she was staying with was a cannibal.

Only when she got in the bathroom and closed the door behind her, a horrible stench was permeating the air. She immediately turned towards the toilet.

The curtains were closed.

'How odd.'

Bracing herself she moved the curtain aside.

A human body was hung from the ceiling blue and purple. Fresh blood oozed from a neck wound.

Kara hissed shutting the curtain promptly and heading out of the bathroom.

Only when she came back in the room with Luther and Alice did she finally let out a sigh of relief.

Luther glanced at her in concern.

"Kara, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Alice looked up at Luther.

"Is Kara alright?"

Luther sighed giving Alice a soft smile.

"I'm sure she's fine, Alice."

Luther scooted towards her.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"He's holding some people in the room. I think he's been using one of them as food."

Luther looked at Kara in disbelief.

"You're kidding."

Kara looked at him with unease. Concern etched in her eyebrows which were drawn up close to her eyes.

"I'm not."

"Konnie, Alex, Alice, dinner is ready."

Kara and Luther shared a look of unease before the three headed downstairs.

Four plates were on the table full of meat coated in barbeque sauce.

'To hide the flavor perhaps?' Kara thought.

Ralph glanced at them with a cheery grin.

"Ralph prepared this for everybody. So sit and dig in. It's a present to make up for past misunderstandings."

All three of them joined Ralph at the table.

Luther glanced at Kara uneasy.

"Alex?" he murmured.

"Just go along with it," she said.

Kara and Luther looked at the plates uneasy.

"Come on sit."

Ralph brought a chair up to the table between him and Kara and gestured for Alice to join them.

"It wouldn't be polite for you all to refuse."

Kara tapped Alice on the shoulder before drawing her close. She whispered in Alice's ear.

"Alice, don't eat that. It's not good for you."

Ralph glanced towards Kara.

"Did you say something?"

Alice smiled.

"Kara says she can't wait to eat it."

"You're not gonna regret it. Ralph prepared this meal with his guests in mind."

Both Kara and Luther began to dive in their food moving it around while Ralph dug in.

Kara brought a spoon of the food to her mouth before letting it drop on her lap when Ralph wasn't watching.

Alice and Luther followed her example.

"I saw the body upstairs in the bathroom. You've killed someone haven't you?"

"No, that corpse was already there."

"No," Kara snapped. "It wasn't. You put it there. How many other humans did you kill before you convinced yourself of that lie?"

"But Ralph didn't-"

"You killed them and you were going to kill those people locked up in your room and then you were going to eat them. There's no point in lying."

Ralph stared at Kara with something akin to sorrow.

"You said you weren't going to hurt us, you said you were going to protect us but you're just like those androids. You're just a machine."

"No, NO, that's not true. Ralph would never hurt his family. Ralph would never kill an innocent soul."

"But you did. Family members don't do that to each other."

"No, no, no..." Ralph murmured sobbing, clutching his legs and rocking back and forth on the ground.

Alice crawled up next to him patting him soothingly on the shoulder.

"Ralph it's okay."

Suddenly someone knocked loudly on the door.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

Just then Ralph grabbed her by the waist and held a knife to her neck leaving Kara and Luther to look on in horror.

Alice screamed.

"KARA! Help me, Kara!"

Ralph slowly inched up the stairs with Alice in tow.

"Alice!"

Kara slowly walked after him.

"This is the Detroit Police. Open up."

Luther ran to the door and opened it only for his eyes to raise in surprise.

"Connor?"

"Luther?" he inquired with equal surprise. "What are you doing out here in this part of the city?"

"Enough of that."

He stepped aside to let Connor in.

"Where's your backup?" he hissed. "You still going at it alone?"

"He's already calling it in."

"So you got a new partner huh?"

"Something like that."

Both Connor and Luther followed after them. Connor pulled out his gun as they reached the top floor squeezing in front of Kara.

"Release the girl."

"You shoot me and the girl dies."

"If you don't release her, you will die," Connor said.

"It's a lose lose situation either way."

"No it isn't. If you let the girl go I won't shoot however if you continue this little game I'll send a bullet to your head faster than you can speak."

"You promise?"

Connor's expression softened.

"You have my word."

Slowly he released Alice. A slip of paper falling from her pocket.

Ralph reached down and grabbed it unfolding the paper.

It was the picture Alice had drawn earlier.

Her picture depicted four stick figures together near a grassy landscape. There was a home, and a car in the background of her drawing. His name was on one of the stick figures.

"Alice, you drew a car?"

Alice turned to him with a smile.

"It's supposed to be the car you're going to teach me to drive when I grow older."

Ralph glanced at the picture that Alice drew and sobbed before embracing the girl.

"I'm sorry Alice. Ralph was just so hungry. I'm sorry, Konnie. I'm sorry, Alex. You should leave. I'm not safe to be around."

Alice ran to Kara before Ralph spoke to Connor.

"Are you going to arrest me?"

"This isn't in my jurisdiction. I'm merely looking for my brother, that's all."

"Your brother?" Kara asked. "There's two men held up in a room in this place. One of them goes by the name of Carl."

"Which room?"

Kara showed him the room.

Connor turned towards Ralph.

"Do you have a key to this room?"

Ralph nodded taking a set of keys from his pocket and opening the door.

Inside Connor saw the sheets on the bed were wet with fresh blood but Markus nor Carl were nowhere to be seen.

"What happened in here? It looks like a bloodbath."

Kara sighed.

"You really don't want to know."

Connor turned to Ralph clutching the collar of his shirt slamming him into the wall.

"Where are they?"

"R-Ralph doesn't know."

"I think they fled out the window," Kara said.

Connor sighed.

"I guess Simon found them then."

"That's good I guess."

"You mean your brother was being held in there?" Luther asked.

"Yeah, Markus. I told you about him didn't I?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Luther, you never did tell me what you were doing in this part of the city. You didn't get into any trouble did you?"

Luther sighed.

"What kind of guy do you take me for? I stay out of trouble. You're the one who dives head first into it."

"We're running from the police."

"Really? Why?"

"Some androids are after this little girl," Luther said. "Her father told us to protect her but everywhere we've went those androids follow us."

Connor was silent as soon as they made their way outside, a gunshot rang out. He turned and saw Ralph was shot in the shoulder. The man inched to the ground on his knees clutching his shoulder for dear life.

Up ahead Detective Reed was glancing at them smugly.

"Your partner told me you needed backup."

"I was fine, Reed."

"I see your old partner also shows his old face again."

Luther hissed.

"He was doing fine, Reed. No thanks to you."

"Is that any way to thank your savior."

"Where's Anderson?" Connor asked.

"Chris told him to head on home."

"So he left you with me then?"

Reed chuckled.

"Chris might have told him that Ben was going to take you to the station. Unfortunately Ben decided to return to the station so I guess you're stuck with me."

Just then Reed held out his gun.

"I've always despised you."

Suddenly gunfire rang out.

"I just hate filling out paperwork don't you? Why don't we forget that all of this just happened. Erase it like it never existed."

He pointed his gun towards Luther.

Connor stepped in front of him just as Reed fired another bullet hitting him in the chest.

"Connor."

"Luther, take those two and get out of here."

Luther grabbed Kara's hand just as Reed was about to shoot again. The gun didn't fire.

'He must be out of bullets.'

"What a shame I wasn't the one to kill you. Guess you'll just have to suffer and wait for a savior who doesn't exist."

With that Reed chuckled before heading back to his car and he drove off.


End file.
